The Paris Book Festival opens its doors on April 21, and runs until April 23 at the ephemeral Grand Palais. Emblematic spring literary event, it coincides every year with the releases of the season’s star comics and manga. We’ve put together a selection of humorous manga, witty stories for young people, the return of Catwoman, and outrageous horror comedies.
• The Poe Clan
Classic shoujo manga (intended for female teen audiences), The Poe Clan it is finally available in France half a century after its publication in Japanese. The opportunity to discover the destiny through the times of Edgar, a vampire prisoner of an endless existence, and the work of a great manga figure, with a very personal universe.
Le Clan des Poe, Moto Hagio (author), Miyako Slocombe (translation), Akata, 19.95 euros.
• The wrinkle
Simon and Florent want a change of scenery. Overnight, these two friends decide to leave their jobs and the grayness of Paris to arrive in Burgundy in less than a week. The album, where each page is more inventive than the last, and whose style is reminiscent of Christophe Blain, traces this journey through the French departments.
La Ride, Simon Boileau (script) and Florent Pierre (drawing), Dargaud, 108 pages, 18 euros.
• Hirayasumi
Never where you expect it, the mangaka Shinzō Keigo signs with Hirayasumi, his best work to date, a decidedly nice and very sweet story. It narrates the daily life of Hiroto, a 29-year-old freelancer with no particular aspirations whose life changes when he inherits his neighbor’s house.
Hirayasumi, Shinzō Keigo (author), Sylvain Chollet (translation), Le Lézard Noir, 192 pages, 13 euros.
• Toxic environment
In the mid-2000s, 21-year-old Kate was working in the tar sands mines, the sandy deposits from which oil is extracted in Canada, to pay off her student loan. A masculine and oppressive universe where she will be the victim of sexual violence, which she exorcises in this shocking album, Barack Obama’s favorite graphic novel in 2022.
Toxic environment, Kate Beaton, Casterman, 440 pages, 29.95 euros.
• bokko
Force is not the only method to win the war. is the subject of bokko, cult manga from the 90s reissued these days. This gritty story follows the journey of Ke-ri, an expert in combat and military strategy sent to single-handedly organize the defense of a city besieged by 15,000 experienced soldiers.
Bokko, Sentaro Kubota (script) and Hideki Mori (drawing), Vega Dupuis, 288 pages, 11 euros.
• The Villa at night
the village at night its hero is Jean, whose life is divided between his normal days as a child (school, tea time, etc.) and his nights, when his house and furniture come to life. One day, the objects that are dear to him begin to disappear. What’s going on? A beautiful album intended for young people, with color effects à la Mondrian.
La Villa nuit, Guillaume Chauchat, Biscoto, 52 pages, 16 euros.
• Nyaight of the Living Cat
Crazy parody of zombie movies like Night of the Living Dead, Nyaight of the Living Cat takes place during an apocalypse in which a mysterious virus turns humans into cats. The hero, Kunagi, tries to survive, with one big handicap: he loves cats.
Nyaight of the Living Cat, Hawkman (script), Mecha-Roots (drawing), François Boulanger (translation), Mangetsu, 8.20 euros.
• Astranova
Selected to lead a scientific mission with no possible return, located 2.5 million light years from Earth, Nova is forced to organize a big farewell party with her friends. An evening that will make you realize that we are never willing to sacrifice everything. A unique science fiction story, marked by a deep melancholy.
Astra Nova, Lisa Blumen, The Employee of Me, 174 pages, 24 euros.
• Catwoman: Lonely City
Released in the US in 2021, lonely town established itself upon its release as one of the most compelling Catwoman stories. Ten years after a massacre that claimed the lives of Batman, Gordon and the Joker, Selina Kyle is back in Gotham City. While the city has turned its back on superheroes, she tries one last big shot.
Catwoman: Lonely City, Chiang Cliff, Urban Comics, 224 pages, 21 euros.
• Why wyverns love blueberries
Aimed at young children (ages 7 and up), this eco-fable is set in the wondrous world of wyverns, legendary winged serpent-like creatures. When mountain demons steal their magical stones to protect nature, they muster their courage to find peace.
Why wyverns love blueberries, Amélie Strobino, Helvetiq, 64 pages, 14.90 euros.
Source: BFM TV
