Category Archives: ComicsLit

August 22, 2014 · 10:44 pm

Review: ‘Phantoms of the Louvre’ (Louvre Collection)

Bilal’s Marpada (Wonder Woman?) from “Phantoms of the Louvre”

Bilal is a legendary sci-fi and fantasy artist. He has an uncanny ability to evoke a vast world of suspense and mystery. His villains are utterly macabre. His women are utlra-cool sexy. For his contribution to the NBM ComicsLit Louvre collection, Bilal provides us with twenty-two ghost stories in his graphic novel, “Phantoms of the Louvre.” He focuses on a particular work in the Louvre, photographs it, and then works his magic with acrylic, pastel, and prose. For example, we have the story of Marpada who, it would not be a stretch to say brings to mind Wonder Woman. If you ever wondered what a Bilal Wonder Woman would be like, this has got to be it. Note to DC Comics: Entice Bilal to do a Wonder Woman story!

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Filed under Bande Dessinée, Bilal, Comics, ComicsLit, France, French Comics, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, NBM, Paris, The Louvre, Wonder Woman

Tagged as Art, arts, Bilal, Books, comic books, comics, Entertainment, European Comics, Fantasy, France, Ghosts, graphic novels, Paris, Pop Culture, Publishing, Sci-Fi, Travel, Wonder Woman

August 21, 2014 · 7:00 am

Review: ‘An Enchantment’ (Louvre Collection)

Christian Durieux states that he sought to create comic book poetry with his graphic novel, “An Enchantment.” He definitely succeeds in doing just that. The collaboration between the Louvre and NBM ComicsLit to co-edit books inspired by the Louvre results in such wonderful works of comics. This one is pure magic. It’s like watching a dance sequence with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The comic flows so well that it glides. It could easily have been wordless but the dialogue is so charming.

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Filed under Bande Dessinée, Comics, ComicsLit, France, French Comics, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, NBM

Tagged as Art, arts, Bande Dessinée, Books, Culture, Death, Entertainment, France, Ghosts, graphic novels, Muses, Museums, Paris, Pop Culture, Spirituality, The Louvre, Tourists, Travel, Wine

August 19, 2014 · 7:23 pm

Review: ‘The Sky Over the Louvre’ (Louvre Collection)

The Reign of Terror is brought into focus in an unsettling and quite captivating way in “The Sky Over the Louvre,” our third book this week to consider in the NBM ComicsLit collection of Louvre-inpired books. Bernar Yslaire and Jean-Claude Carriere have created a most ambitious book here. The fight for liberty and justice championed by the Jacobins against the aristocracy was threatened by instability. Leave it to one mad zealot, Maximilien Robespierre, to pave the way to slaughter. This graphic novel provides great insight by balancing a story following the broad sweep of events along with intimate portraits.

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Filed under Comics, ComicsLit, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, NBM

Tagged as Art, arts, Books, comics, Culture, Entertainment, France, French History, French Revolution, graphic novels, Maximilien Robespierre, NBM Publishing, Paris, Pop Culture, The Louvre

August 19, 2014 · 3:43 am

Review: ‘On the Odd Hours’ (Louvre Collection)

“On the Odd Hours” is part of the NBM ComicsLit collection of Louvre-inspired comics. Eric Liberge not only gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the grand museum from the perspective of museum guards. He’s created quite a fanciful story. What if the Louvre was haunted by all its great works and it’s up to one particular guard, in the odd hours of the night, to pacify the spirits?

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Filed under Bande Dessinée, Comics, ComicsLit, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, NBM, Paris, The Louvre

Tagged as Art, arts, Bande Dessinée, Entertainment, France, Ghosts, graphic novels, Hauntings, Museums, Paris, Pop Culture, Supernatural, The Louvre, The Mona Lisa

August 18, 2014 · 5:06 pm

Review: ‘Glacial Period’ (Louvre Collection)

This week we will consider NBM ComicsLit’s collection of comics with a Louvre-inspired theme. We begin with the book that kicked it all off back in 2007, Nicolas De Crécy’s refreshingly cool look at art, “Glacial Period.” It was such a wonderfully odd duck of a book that the paperback promptly sold out and had been hard to find until now. Just released, “Glacial Period” finds a new home in a bigger hardcover edition. This little gem spurred The Louvre museum to become involved in a co-edition of a series of graphic novels, each a vision by a different artist of the great museum.

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