this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2025
16 points (94.4% liked)

European Graphic Novels+

653 readers
30 users here now

“BD” refers to Franco-Belgian comics, but let's open things up to include ALL Euro comics and GN's. Euro-style work from around the world is also welcome!

* BD = "Bandes dessinées"
* BDT = Bedetheque
* GN = graphic novel
* LBK = Lambiek
* LC = "Ligne claire"

Please DO: 1) follow good 'netiquette' and 2) the four simple rules of lemm.ee (this instance) when posting and commenting. As for extracts, they're fine, but don't link to pirated downloads.

MODERATION: If you happen to make a mistake upon the above, then please don't worry about it. We'll likely just laugh it off and let you know. OTOH, obvious bad-faith and hostile efforts will not be tolerated here.

For posting tips, including how to handle NSFW and personal content, see the FAQ below.

The designated language here is English, with a traditional bias towards French. When posting foreign-language content, please DO include helpful context for English-speakers.

---> Here's the community F.A.Q, and our resource page <---

RELATED COMMUNITIES:

SEARCHES:
# #Tintin #Asterix #LuckyLuke #Spirou #Gaston #CortoMaltese #Thorgal #Sillage(Wake) #Smurfs #Trondheim #Moebius #Jodorowsky

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

As I see it, Bryan Talbot is one of the three biggest, living British talents in comics, along with Pat Mills and Alan Moore... oof, with Neil Gaiman pretty-much nuking his reputation, recently. :S

Talbot's The Tale of One Bad Rat moved me a lot, winning multiple awards as it were, and I'd say his five, hard-hitting Grandville books are just about the pinnacle of conventional anthropomorphic adventure-dramas in BD's, alongside the sensational Cité 14 / "District 14" series.

Now, I've had this panel queued up -forever- to post, but have been equally torn since forever whether I wanted to actually post it. For example, as someone fascinated by sea life, such as mollusks & crustaceans, the fact that we keep lobsters in tanks like this, with their pincers tied, only to meet a boiling end when they get 'lucky,' doesn't sit very well with me. OTOH, in art there is truth, and one thing Talbot does a lot of in Grandville is demonstrate the vagaries of human cruelty.

In any case, it's a great BD art piece IMO.

https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/talbot_bryan.htm

top 6 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 2 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Bryan Talbot is great.

I have one Luther Arkright collection. It's the middle of great, psychedelic anti-fascist tale. Just wish I could get my hands on more of it all.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Oh yeah, that one!

So it's been a while, but I once found some Luther at my local library, and then they had some more via digital lending that I read on tablet. In one of the sidebar links I've put a little more info on all that, if it helps...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

That's very kind of you.
I'm sure it'll help someone, alas I'm a bit of an old fool when it comes to books and like to have the physical codex in my hands. Reading stuff off of screens, especially graphic novels never seems to jive with me, even when it's one I know I like.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago

Yeap, understood.

Indeed, I kinda like how they sometimes touch on that in Star Trek, even as it's set two centuries ahead or so. There is just nothing like a satisfying book in one's hands...

[–] adam_y 3 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I met Talbot at a comic festival in Lancaster some time back. Spent an awfully long time chatting to him. Fascinating and kind human.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 22 hours ago

Wow, that's awesome.
And truly, I could not imagine him otherwise given his "Rat" story.

Really, I kind of dropped the ball here not covering his Grandville stuff sooner. For example, I've no problem with people loving Blacksad, much of that I presume due to the excellent art and enjoyable noir genre, but Grandville is just levels above IMO.

The number of hilarious (and even sadly nuanced) guest appearances doesn't hurt either, such as the fading Snowy's cameo (from Tintin).