(click the links for samples)

Belladonna (Ange & Alary, 2009) Set in France, in the middle of the reign of Louis XIV (the celebrated “Sun King”), this is a superb, cinematic story of political intrigue, factional infighting, assassination, and the struggle for an orphan to piece together her backstory while on the run. I found it impressively realistic, full of historical personages, but also fast-moving, titillating, and efficient in storytelling. The album covers seem to suggest cartoony, lighthearted fun, but don’t be fooled. These three albums are indeed every bit as intriguing and deeply-plotted as similar series such as Alix, Senator & The Scorpion, almost like a lost Alexandre Dumas tale. Bonus points for Ange & Alary managing to interject a level of lightness and humor in to this sometimes-grim historical mystery-adventure.

The Property (Rutu Modan, 2013) Nicely-done long story of a Jewish woman and her grandmother who travel from their homeland back to Poland to reclaim a property the latter was forced to abandon in WWII. Complications arise between themselves, from some of the locals, and even from a fellow passenger who just won’t leave them alone. That may not exactly sound like a thrilling premise, but Modan’s excellent at using panels and expressions to tell a story without bogging it down with too much text. Indeed, it comes off a lot like a classic French film in ‘BD’ form. Also, it’s difficult for me to put in to words, but it seems to me that Modan has an uncanny ability to capture the ‘Israeli soul,’ and I really felt a sort of rare cultural transportation in this work.

Paul has a Summer Job (Michel Rabagliati, 2002) From the excellent, semi-autobiographical Paul series, this one covers the period where the protagonist crashes and burns out of high school, followed by unexpectedly becoming a counselor at a summer camp for disadvantaged children. Things don’t get off to a great start with the kids, and a young woman who’s been assigned to work with him is immediately contemptuous of Paul. Oh, how things go from there(!) The art is spare, stylised, and beautifully effective, while the overall book is fun and absorbing, with a feel-good, NSFW-style finish.

Last Days of an Immortal (Fabien Vehlmann, 2012) A sci-fi gem by one of comic-dom’s most gifted storytellers. In this highly-imaginative scenario, mankind has greatly-extended lifespans, with a new, astonishing ability to split off temporary clones who can go off on missions, then re-assimilate with the host. Story-wise, the main character is on a series of diplomatic missions, even as his close relationships evolve significantly. But more than that, he’s in an existential crisis, deeply fatigued by the world he lives in, and increasingly ready to leave it all behind. This is a somewhat abstract, idea-driven work (quite a contrast to Paul, for example), but is well worth a read for sci-fi fans. I must say-- Vehlmann is unbelievably good at conjuring up worlds and then breathing life and plausibility in to them.

Set to Sea (Drew Weing, 2014) Here’s a lovely, minimalist tale of the sea and a pirate’s life, in which a bibliophile & poet is gang-impressed aboard a ship, and must struggle to cope with a radical new life, transforming himself in the process. This one pairs quite nicely with a similar, longer work, Blacklung, by the author’s friend, Chris Wright. Both of these works contain a fascinating sub-theme of gentle/genteel people suddenly forced to survive in violent, abusive situations.