Humanoids Publishing, the U.S. arm of the French comic publishing giant Les Humanoides Associes, is bringing European-style graphic novels to U.S. bookstores and comic shops. The French comic book industry is about five times as big on a per capita basis as its U.S counterpart, with numerous genres of comics found in nearly every French bookshop. Several other publishers, most notably NBM, are also publishing English language versions of European graphic novels, though they generally publish in trade paperback format, while Humanoids clings to the deluxe hardcover format that still dominates French comics. The truly remarkable trick that Humanoids Publishing pulls off is delivering full color 56-page, large-format hardcovers for a cover price of just $14.95.
Retailers looking for graphic novels that will appeal to adults will find many to choose from on the Humanoids list. Les Humanoids Associes is one of the most sophisticated of French comic publishers, specializing in imaginative science fiction adventures, gritty, realistic underworld tales, and multileveled, elliptical narratives that have the depth of a philosophical treatise. Here's a quick look at the graphic novels Humanoids will be releasing in the next few months.
From Cloud 99: Memories Part II
The first volume in this groundbreaking series was nominated for four Eisner awards. From Cloud 99 is nothing less than a history of the 20th Century told through the eyes and memories of dying 98-year-old psychoanalyst Eva Stern, featuring absolutely brilliant art and storytelling by Yslaire, who is one of the most intriguing of the European comic artists. There is nothing pornographic about this graphic album, but like much of the Humanoids line, it does contain nudity and is definitely for mature readers.
Francois Schuiten is one of the leading European comic artists. Trained as an architect, Schuiten is at his best in depicting alternative civilizations with dense, multi-layered backgrounds. Zara is the third volume in an early series of science fiction albums set in a solar system whose planets are known as the 'hollow grounds.' Zara, the fifth planet, is composed of two concentric layers that are independent of each other. The outer layer rotates continuously while the inner layer stays fixed. Zara will be released in June.
Leo Roa 2: An Odyssey Back in Time
This time-traveling adventure is actually a stand-alone story featuring the adventurer Leo Roa, who goes hurtling back in time when an attempt to capture a gang of terrorists accidentally collides with a time travel experiment. Written and illustrated by Juan Gimenez, the artist for the Metabarons series, Leo Roa 2 manages to feature both World War II fighter planes and dinosaurs in its wide-ranging narrative. Like all the books covered in this article, Leo Roa 2 carries a $14.95 cover price.
The Town That Didn't Exist
The Town That Didn't Exist features the art of Enki Bilal, creator of the Nicopol trilogy (see 'Humanoids Sells Film Rights to Nicopol Trilogy'). Writer Pierre Christin (The Hunting Party) is easily the subtlest comic writer in the world when dealing with political subject matter in a fictional graphic novel. The Town That Didn't Exist tackles the tough issues of labor and capital, exploitation and employment in the context of a small town dependent on one dominant industry.
Son of a Gun: Born in the Trash
