Wednesday, October 31, 2012

What I Am Reading - Blacksad: A Silent Hell

Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canalez and Juanjo Guarnido

I love Blacksad.  This is the second Blacksad book, which collects the fourth and latest story as well as a few back up strips and an in depth write up about the artistic decisions by artist, Juanjo Guarnido.  This volume isn't quite as robust as the first volume, but it's still a great read.

What I love about this comic is that not only is it a great throwback to classic noir storytelling, but it's also a throwback to classic comic tropes in that the characters are all animal people.  Using animals in place of people is such a great technique for conveying a massive amount of information in as short a space possible.  We, as people, ascribe natural attributes to animals that are largely universal across all cultures.  By casting different animals as different characters, the reader is instantly able to infer certain characteristics, which can also then be undermined.  It's an effect that cannot be achieved by simply drawing human beings.

Anybody who likes comics, who likes to see the true artistry of the medium, must read these books.

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