By: Juan Diaz Canales Publisher: IBooks Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 54 Publication Date: December 09, 2003 Studio: IBooks
Now Blacksad reaches America with its incredible combination of hard-boiled and hard-shelled anthropomorphosized murder. If Raymond Chandler was writing "Roger Rabbit" or Walt Disney was drawing "The Big Sleep" you would begin to understand the fabulous conceit of the freshest graphic novel in years.
Meet private eye, John Blacksad, a cat in the shadow, passionately involved with kittenish--really kitten--Natalia Wilford. He loves the girls, but he's married to danger.
Meet New York City as a city of hoodlum rats, jazz playing gorillas, rhino thugs...
Enter a mystery as real as any other...in a city where most suspects have tails. Welcome to Blacksad.
Fabulous ^ You need this book. The graphics are unbelievable. Blacksad is one of the great tough private-eyes. Juan Diaz Canales achieved one of the best mergers of animal and human of all time.
It may seem "Furry" but its a well composed literation of society ^ It may seem "Furry" but its a well composed literation of society> The Blacksad comics have wonderful art design to them and a well developed story and well composed characters. I know some people cringe at the thought of "furries" but this doesn't really go there, it touches on society issues using anthromorphic characters as archetypes and stylization. Especially in this volume where the artic animals have organized a KKK-like organization.
Astounding Art, but Too Short ^ "Arctic Nation" is the second of the Blacksad graphic novels. (And, disappointingly, the only one still in print in English; due to publisher issues, the first is out of print and the third was never finished). Blacksad is a detective in a world of anthropomorphized animals - he's a black cat with white around his muzzle.
The art is frankly amazing - Guarnido is a great artist, and he flexes his muscles here. The anthropomorphic characters are drawn in a realistic style that works perfectly, and the book is worth buying for the art alone. The story itself is a Noir one, set in a decaying neighborhood being taken over by racist thugs; fur color is used as the dividing line, while species is usually used as a shorthand to help define the characters.
The translated dialogue is fine; while nothing special, it matches the noir mood and isn't clunky or wooden. The main problem with the book is the pacing - it's too fast. The book is only 56 pages, and they cover a lot of ground. The art is obviously time-intensive given it's quality, but it still would have been better to have a little more breathing room in the book. The storyline and characters are good and have hints of depth, but never have time to reach the level of the astounding art.
"Arctic Nation" is a great book; I just wish it was longer.
This is a masterpiece. The illustration is unparralleled and the story is a thriller. Have read many graphic novels and seen many illustrators but there is nothing like this out there. Too bad it is so hard to come across, US publisher went bankrupt, perhaps can be found on international sites (French, spanish, German). Buy this book and see for yourself, you won't be able to look away.
Why haven't you bought it yet? ^ I went to art school, and one of my teachers introduced me to this artist. If an art teacher is showing you something, you tend to pay attention, especially if it has an excellent storyline as well. Its not meant for kids, but it does have sort of a film-noir-esque feel to it. Its not so much animals acting out people roles in a detective story as much as it is people who just happen to look like animals in a detective story. Not one of the people i showed it to could give it a poor review. So its worth it.
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