Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows

Original review - in French - on my blog : http://moncoinlecture.over-blog.com/article-blacksad-1-quelque-part-entre-les-om... ( )

A Noir tale told through a graphic novel with anthropomorphic characters, "Blacksad" (Vol 1 here) hits every target it aims for; it's just that, apart from the art, it doesn't aim all that high. It's difficult to say too much in praise of the art, though - it's absolutely beautiful, ambitious in its realism and detail, and almost flawless.

There's nothing wrong, per se, with the story or the writing; the story is effective over it's short length, and the translated dialogue fits in well, with only minor hiccups. It's just that it's nothing more than a well-told, simple story, and the art demands more in a standalone volume like this. The space to flesh out characters is limited, and not that much is done.

The animal nature of the characters is primarily used as character shorthand and commentary; and for it's visual power. The expressions and movement Guarnido gets out of his characters is amazing. Guarnido and Canales just need to work with plots a little longer and more involved than here. ( )

Excellent!! ( )

Graphic novels have a reputation for being a touch heavy-handed. The same is usually true of pulp fiction; they often show all the finesse of a sledge hammer. Yet the artwork in the graphic novel Blacksad, a noir detective story in graphic novel format, shows moments of unexpected subtlety. In one notable panel, a ballerina almost imperceptibly meets the gaze of a background onlooker reflected in a mirror. It’s a drawing of remarkable technical sophistication, yet artist Juanjo Guardino makes it look easy. There’s an attention to aesthetic detail rarely seen in graphic novels. The story, written by Juan Diaz Canales, is perfectly suited for the format. This is a beautiful example of the graphic novel playing all the strengths of its hand.