Blacksad (For Grandville Lovers)

[Alski]

Or maybe that should be the other way round.

I got the Blacksad hardcover trade for my birthday, completely unexpected as I hadn't ever heard of it.

It's a Spanish book, and concerns anthropomorphic animals, focusing on a Private Detective, John Blacksad, who is a cat. Think Grandville without the steampunk and you're just about there.

Anyway, it's bloody brilliant, and the art is beautiful. I would rank it up there with Grandville, which is one of my favourites, and urge anyone who likes one to get the other.

The book contains 3 stories, and is really well printed and bound.

£15.71 on AMazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/159582393X/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_g14_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-5&pf_rd_r=1VKW25P34Q6SS0KYBZTD&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128293&pf_rd_i=468294

[Dark Jimbo]

Aye - to have Blacksad described to me, I think I'd be a bit 'meh', imagining it to be more of a 'furry' sort of thing than it is, but it's just a really classy noir played fairly straight but cast with animals. Aside from the anthropomorphism, it's set in a fairly realistic 50's America - lots of characters carrying around scars from WWII, racism and civil rights issues, a bubbling threat of communism as the Cold War kicks in - it's surprisingly dark and moody at times. Plenty of murders, gang violence, lynching, unemployment, even a wee bit of incest.

It's the art that sells it, though - it's bloody GORGEOUS, and the cartooniness of it contrasts really well with some of the darker themes. I've spent hours just poring over the pages. If there's a criticism it's that the dialogue is not all it could be - as Alski says, it was originally spanish language, and there are some really clunky, stilted lines that ring of dodgy translation issues. Otherwise, 9 out of 10.

[bluemeanie]

HATE anthropomorphic stuff but this is one of the best and most stunning looking books I have ever read. Absolutely stunning. Couldnt recommend it enough

[CrazyFoxMachine]

Sigh. It looks gorgeous but I can't muster the energy for noir anthro. There's about seventy percent too much of it really.

[The Adventurer]

Sigh. It looks gorgeous but I can't muster the energy for noir anthro. There's about seventy percent too much of it really.

There is nothing else like Blacksad. I really need to get the Dark Horse hardcover. As I've yet to read Book 3.

[Link Prime]

Cheers Alski, I'd never heard of this, and will check out ASAP.
The Grandville comparison piqued my attention- any other Talbot-esqe treasure out there in the infinite multiverse?