Welcome to our end of the year celebration of #my500comicgoal. I had a great time with this Twitter hashtag, ending with five of of the best books I've read all year.
These five English translations of Florent Ruppert and Jerome Mulot were read on the Hoopla Digital app:
786 THE EXTRAORDINARY PART: VOLUME 1: ORSAY'S HANDS (Europe Comics)
787 THE EXTRAORDINARY PART: VOLUME 2: JULIETTE'S EYES (Europe Comics)
Many times science fiction in comics is boring and clichéd. This is so understated and well-paced I was already immersed in this version of our world before I even realized it. The absence of conflict between the humans and aliens, and the results of the interaction between the same is handled in a fresh and logical way. Then the explosion of colors and patterns from the "whols" inside and out completes the wonderful experience of these two graphic novels. (cover images from Europe Comics)
788 THE PERINEUM TECHNIQUE (Fantagraphics Books)
A very modern take on sex and relationships, some really well done narrative turns and amazingly concise visual effects. It was unsettling and almost unresolved, but a very satisfying read all things considered.
789 THE GRANDE ODALISQUE (Fantagraphics Books)
790 OLYMPIA (Fantagraphics Books)
This was the final story I read and the most conventional, or so it seems. Maybe this was from the addition of Bastien Vives to the team, but I suspect it's just what this particular narrative called for. As the narrative structure is every bit as complex as the above two, swapping out alien vistas and psychosexual dreamscapes for beautifully rendered wide angle views of the city, along the way. Hidden, I think, in the tight heist story, is an unusual story of the unbreakable bond between three women. (cover images from Fantagraphics Books)
The one Fantagraphics translation not on Hoopla Digital (that I'll be tracking down in the new year):
Still in print from
Fantagraphics Books
Coming in February:
Available for pre-order from
Fantagraphics Books
A BARREL OF MONKEYS, the first English translation of Ruppert & Mulot, available at Domino Books (Another one I'll be budgeting for in the new year!):
Three untranslated L'Association Ruppert & Mulot books available on Amazon:
Hopefully you all will try some Ruppert & Mulot next year if you haven't already! -Gary Usher
No comments:
Post a Comment