Monday, November 02, 2009
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Posted by
Dara
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11/02/2009 07:51:00 PM
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Review: Gus and His Gang
I picked up the graphic novel Gus and His Gang (First Second Publishing) on a whim at Half Price Books. I didn't know anything about this western, or its creator, French cartoonist Christophe Blain. As it turns out, Gus won this year's Harvey Award for "Best American Edition of Foreign Materials".
This edition collects several volumes of the series, translated from French. The production values on the book are impeccable, which is something First Second has always been known for. My only complaint is that the book is printed in a small (almost digest) size, which does the art a great disservice. I'm sure the original bande dessinee editions were in the traditional large-format.
Gus follows the exploits of three outlaws in the old West: Gus, Clem, and Gratt. All the staples of westerns are here, from shootouts to bank robberies, but the book's narrative is mostly built upon the women pursued by the three protagonists. In fact, the relationships (or lack thereof) take center stage, even during the somewhat slapstick comedy of the first couple of short stories. And this is what eventually hooked me on the book.
To be honest, I didn't much care for the story or the humorous approach at first. I didn't think the comedy was particularly effective, and the characters were rather boring. But then an odd thing happened: Blain suddenly veered into some serious territory, exploring themes of marriage, adultery, and identity. Here, Clem's character takes over the spotlight, and I became engrossed in his adventures, replete with bad decisions, infidelity, guilt, and the internal struggle of a man trying to come to terms with himself.
That's not to say I fully enjoyed Blain's approach to women and relationships. The sex is sometimes very one-sided, and the dialogue and situations involving the various rogues' pursuit of women is clearly written from a male perspective. Let's just say there are parts of the book that definitely won't win any feminist accolades.
On the art front, I absolutely fell in love with Blain's brushwork. As a cartoonist, he manages to mix realism and cartoon sensibilities quite well, creating a landscape that's at once highly detailed and minimalist. His sense of movement and action is pure cartoonist, but the smoky saloons and period dresses are done with the eye of a master illustrator. This is why I think it's a shame that the American edition is printed so small. Not to mention the lettering is equally eye-straining.
Also, First Second should be commended for the excellent translation. I've read several other European books in the past, mainly from Humanoids, which suffered from stilted, clunky dialogue which I suspect was the result of poor translation. In Gus, the captions and dialogue read well, and flow quite smoothly.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, despite its flaws. I'm looking into reading more of Blain's work, including his Isaac the Pirate series, and The Speed Abater. He's also collaborated with fellow European cartoonists Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim on other projects.
Dara says: a gorgeous looking book with likable characters, though a bit flawed in certain storytelling aspects. Still, recommended.Labels: review
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