All is not well in the town of Nutwood, somewhere in leafy southern England. A well-respected local gentleman, and an English diplomat normally working in Napoleons France, is dead. The local police think it’s suicide. But in that case, why did he send a message asking for an urgent meeting with the Prime Minster and the Minister of Defence shortly beforehand?
To solve the mystery, Scotland Yard has put its best man on the job, Detective Archibald LeBrock. Did I say best man? I meant badger. A bowler-hatted, pistol wielding detective in the style of Sherlock Holmes (complete with his own Watson, in the form of Detective Ratzi, his debonair assistant) he forms the centre of the marvellous SteamPunk anthropomorphic graphic novel which is Grandville.
The book draws the reader in from the start, with a chase sequence between a steam carriage and a group of policemen wearing steam powered roller-skates. This sequence also introduces you to Bryans graphic style, with use of colour sets to link certain sections. For example, the start takes place in an industrial area next to a metro arch, and is portrayed in muted colours of coppers and greys, with wisps of smoke and steam blowing around, whereas Nutwood is in the vibrant greens you’d expect of a rural English Town.
The plot is certainly is a page turner, with twists, thrills and fights interspersed with great detective work, dry English wit and the occasional flurry of romance. It is also a book which rewards you the more times you read it, as there’ll be little details you pick up each time. Also included are homage’s to previous anthropomorphic works from the French artist J.J. Grandville who inspired the books distinctive setting and characters through to Rupert the Bear (Those who noticed that the Nutwood mentioned earlier was his hometown, give yourself a pat on the back) as well as other works of fiction and art, often subtly tweaked to suit Bryans world setting. It was also quite a topical book for the present, with the talk of anarchists and super weapons in the plot relevant to modern readers at the time of the Iraq/Afghanistan occupations.
For its beautiful art style, its wide range of SteamPunk setting and the sheer amount of work and love that has gone into it, I cannot help but recommend this brilliant Graphic Novel to you. I will also review its sequel "Grandville: Mon Amour” sometime in the future.
Until then, best wishes.
Kerl
P.S. Some of the information above was drawn from a speech by the author entitled “Grandville and the Anthromporphic Tradition”. If you get the chance to see this talk, do so. Bryan is an excellent presenter and he brings the thought process and history behind Grandville to vivid life. He also signed my book. Yay!
If this sounded of interest to you, consider reading:
Blacksad by Diaz Canales and Guarnido
Like Grandville, Blacksad is an anthropomorphic detective novel, but set in the turbulent times of the late 50’s/early 60’s America where the threat of atomic obliteration looms in the background and a great nation tries to find its way in the world after the Second World War. Against this background, the titular Blacksad, a Feline detective, follows trails of corruption, jealously and scandal that will make him question himself and the society he lives in. Again, beautifully drawn and well written, Blacksad is well worth a read. For what sounds serious above, there are also some lovely heart-warming moments and a few good laughs along the way, particularly with the sardonic notes from Blacksads own journal of events, written in true cop-drama tradition.
P.P.S Did I mention that with it's tectured cover, the book itself is a work of art?
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