Blacksad

This book is wonderful in every way. If you love a great story, distinct characters and absolutely gorgeous artwork, you will love Blacksad. It's definitely one of a kind. (The content is not for the little ones).

Overall, the comic has good artwork and good story-telling. The author's experience of story board artist pays off here. The use of color is also masterful. Reading it is like watching a modern Hollywood thriller. Well, the keyword "Hollywood" also bothers me. Like most things produced by Hollywood these days, the story is tainted with SJW undertone. You feel an overwhelming political-correctness in these stories. This is one of the root causes that have ruined so many great franchises lately (Star Wars for example). For example, the first two stories are of the typical “poor vs rich” and “black vs white” themes (the last one is a little bit more complicated though). The characters in them, while vividly portrayed, are completely stereotyped, sometimes by the color of their furs. And there is even a clear-cut definition between good and evil based on identity. To be honest, you cannot force yourself under a rock in such a volatile political environment. Not anymore. I enjoy political themed entertainment. The last two installments of Captain America movies are solid examples. Watchmen is, of course, another perennial classic. But this one? Not so much.
In a nutshell, I applaud the author’s superb artwork and storytelling skills. But the SJW undertone and identity politics make this a completely missed opportunity.

Gorgeous artwork. Worth the purchase for that alone. However, the three stories were not so hot. The first one was a pretty decent noir type tale, but the other two were bogged down with outdated social commentary that I did not find particularly profound. The metaphoric use of the animals' to portray racism in the second story felt especially contrived and clumsy. And Blacksad never really seemed to earn any kind of victory over the course of the stories. Things just sort of happen. Maybe he punches somebody. Maybe someone makes a surprising confession. Maybe I need to reread these to see whether the pieces are there and whether Blacksad actually has any effect on the plot, but it felt like the stories just sort of deflated as they went.

Liked the book but corners a little rough. Book should have bubble wrap since this was a combined order. The book moved around in the box without padding with another much larger item. Paid for new book, not used. the store is usually top rated on their items, but not this time.

Artist Juanjo Guarnido met writer Juan Diaz Canales while both men worked as key artists and conceptual designers at Disney's now defunct Animation Studio in Spain. Canales makes the transition from artist to writer amazingly well; the sheer brilliance of Guarnido's artwork in Blacksad make it easy to miss just how damn good the plotting and dialogue are, capturing the mood and culture of cold-war America as the grip of the Red Scare tightens. The artistic education Guarnido acquired at Disney serves him well here, his anthropomorphic animal characters displaying the exaggerated facial expressions of films like 'The Jungle Book', but adapted for the detailed line-work and painted coloring of 'Bande Dessinee' masters like Milo Manara, Vittorio Giardino, and Liberatore. This exquisitely designed omnibus edition, published in English for the first time since 'I-Books' attepted it several years ago, collects the first three European albums. Printed on heavy, glossy, high-quality paper (Dark Horse, unlike DC, spares no expense producing their deluxe hardcovers; even their TPB's are higher-grade), Guarnido's art is displayed to excellent effect, capturing his subtle palette and intricate representation of light and shadow. The three stories in this 190-page collection deal with racist conspiracies and shocking secrets, drug dealers and junkie musicians, the red scare and the political witch-hunts that followed - don't let the animals fool you; this is hard boiled comics-noir in the tradition of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Jim Thompson. Despite the comic-relief characters like Blacksad's driver/sidekick, this is a serious book aimed squarely at an adult audience; using animals to tell a tale has precedents like George Orwell's 'Animal Farm', Art Spiegelman's 'Maus', and Bryan Talbot's 'Grandville'; it is a device used for pointed satire and making relentlessly dark material more palatable... it is also a very clever way of building emotional bonds between characters and readers - the instinctive affection people possess for cats, dogs, and horses make them perfect choices for protagonist roles; the qualities we naturally ascribe to these species are automatically ascribed to the character as well, an instantaneous rapport requiring no exposition, Conversely, we know the bear is a powerhouse, mostly good-hearted, but tempermental and capable of sickening violence; the crocodile, the vulture, & the wolf - all make excellent villains, known as indiscriminate predators and scavengers. Canales and Guarnido use these shortcuts to character development efficiently, unafraid to subvert our preconceptions and surprise us. As great as the stories are, the standout is Juanjo Guarnido's art. He is one of the greatest artists working in the comics medium, on the level of Moebius, Giardino, Ladronn, Geof Darrow, Manara, Charles Burns, Mezzo, Killoffer, Dave Cooper, Jim Woodring, Schuiten, Thomas Ott... there's a lot of talented people working in comics.

If Dashiell Hammett hacked hairballs or Ray Chandler came with claws, they could easily have produced Blacksad. As it was, we had to wait for Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido to come along to give us this trifecta of gritty noir tales.

Don't mistake the Disney influence on the art for Disneyfication - each of the three stories contained in this volume is violent and bleak, with more than an edge of despair. Good people - well, good anthropomorphized animals - die, friendships are betrayed, and our hero John Blacksad regularly takes a beating trying to hold the line without ever knowing for sure on which side of it he's standing.

Blacksad is smart, funny, and surprisingly insightful in places. It's gloriously noir, reveling in the moral ambiguity of its characters as much as it does the cinematic beauty of its panels. I'm as bowled over by its vision as I am charmed by its tough-cat protagonist, and I absolutely cannot wait to see where Canales and Guarnido take us next.

Blacksad is one of those comics that astounds you with every turn of the page. Its beautiful illustrations pop off the page with vibrant color and detail, while the writing is so sharp and deep that you can't help but feel you're getting but a small glimpse into a much, much larger world. If someone told me that Blacksad was the product of pre-production work on a big-budget animated movie that got scrapped, I wouldn't be surprised. That's because the book looks like it's the product of high production values and masters of their craft. But, in reality, this is just pen, ink, and paint, expertly applied by two exceptionally talented creators.

Before I continue to pile effusive praise onto this book, I should probably explain just what it is: Blacksad follows three adventures of John Blacksad, a detective in a mid-20th century America that is populated entirely by anthropomorphic animals. On the surface, this seems like an overly complicated premise--after all, why throw talking animal-people into a perfectly acceptable detective character? I'm not sure what specifically motivated writer Juan Diaz Canales and artist Juanjo Guarrnido to go this route, but using animals allows them to tell standard noir detective tales with far more expressiveness and excitement than they would have had otherwise. Comics are a medium in which people and ideas are reduced down to more easily communicable images and figures. And since noir as a genre tends toward characters and ideas that use animals as stand-ins ("You dirty rat!" "He's a cold-blooded snake," etc.), the switch seems so natural that you forget you're reading about animals. The animal characters, too, seem to allow for more significance and resonance of the characters' actions than they would if they were simply depicted as humans.

For instance, there's a part in the book's first adventure when a particular reptilian character finds a moment of humanity shortly before he dies; that moment is heightened because we know just from looking at him (not having known the character long at all) that this is the kind of thing that's eluded him for all of his fictional existence. Later on, when confronted with yet another reptilian villain Blacksad faces, we look for that same humanity to show, and find it missing. These kinds of moments bring all kinds of questions to mind without ever explicitly discussing them: How much are we slaves to our own nature? Is goodness something inherent in a person because of who and what they are, or is it something that can be found by anyone regardless of their backgrounds? These are deep, exciting issues that the book plays with, all while simply telling exciting detective stories.

The plotting, characterization, and dialogue is sharp throughout the book's three adventures (though there are occasional hiccups when you notice one or another awkward translation from the original Spanish). In addition to providing excellent sources of symbolic resonance, the animals also allow for the illustrations to take on a highly cartoony, expressive look. I suspect that this level of motion and expression wouldn't have quite the punch if Blacksad were simply about humans. To make an already too long explanation short, the entire aesthetic is an inspired choice, making the book that much more memorable.

Simply put, Blacksad, published in English by Dark Horse Comics, is a book that belongs on any serious comic reader's shelf.

Reviewed by Brian P. Rubin

I really admire the amount of work which has been put into these pages. Every single page is carefully composed, carefully layered and done with such a great sense for detail and expression that one has to wonder how it would look like on some gallery wall. Dark American underbelly of days gone by lives again, this time in vivid color. It's almost as if Guarnido was creating a world that many of us could see behind those dark frames of RKO pictures. World sprawling with life, yet feral and unforgiving. As tough as creatures that dwell in it, as beautiful as it is lethal. You would think that you'd miss those dark shadows, those dark alleys with shady characters that run around in trench coats, flashes of neon lights that cut through the fog of mind and space alike, murky interiors of bars filled with smoke (straight from a time without a smoking ban hysteria) and condensed sweat - something you thought could only be done in black and white - but you don't miss any of that. You even get more than you bargained for.

I sort of regret that Blacksad wasn't done in Guarnido's panels without a single word. I can almost picture how it would look like. Silent stills of an almost forgotten era, picture-frames that speak with a sheer power of visual expression, like a postcard that narrates a story of a world which never really existed yet you know it must have, should have existed because if it didn't none of it would have made any sense, frames that speak in volumes about architecture (both social and spatial) of genre-landscapes and yet defy the logic of the genre. It would have been marvelous.

And yet, words came. Words came with letters guiding them, dispelling the magic, shattering the illusion with one swift but relentless move. Words forced you to read and the things that you read where the things that you read so many times before but unlike the world in itself (which also existed in a long-lost-memory-revealed-again sort of way) you couldn't forgive them. They were too plain, too "earthly", too constructed and logical, too lame to coexist with a beautiful creation that is and was the world of Juanjo Guarnido. Words made the "Blacksad" into something else. They took the power from pictures and delivered the same-old genre routine again. Hollywood divas that wind up dead, tough detectives and wise police chiefs, low-life scum and powerful, untouchable (almost) characters that orchestrate the lives of others from within the shadows. Alcohol and cigarettes, guns and knives, beatings given and beatings received - somehow, words revealed them for what they are - pieces of the puzzle that comes in many different shapes and sizes but somehow always remains the same. Canales took words and with them he made a simple, unremarkable story. Guarnido took brushes and with them he made wonders. These things collided and what remained after the collision were sorry remains of what could've been a great album (or graphic novel as it is called these days). Yet, there are three more albums to go through and maybe something, somewhere will change. "Blacksad" deserves to be given a second chance. Or even a third one.

This hardcover edition collects all three currently published Blacksad volumes.

Blacksad is a classic noir private detective, who just happens to be an anthropomorphic cat. Don't let the world populated by animals fool you - this is a set of harsh, hard boiled tales told against grim backdrops with nuanced characters. It easily on par with other excellent anthropomorphic works like Usagi Yojimbo (a black and white samurai epic) and Lackadaisy (a speakeasy/prohibition story).

We open with Somewhere in the Shadows. It's a very cliched noir story, but it was executed so well I didn't mind. Definitely a good introduction for Blacksad and seems to have set up some nice character threads for the other stories.

The second story (Arctic Nation) has a racism backdrop that's intense and utilized very well as it's effects twisted through the plots and motivations driving the mystery. It was quite heavy but all the better for it. It avoided cliche as much as the first story embraced it and yet they both had the same "feel" and quality to them.

The third (Red Soul) moves into communism and the "red scare." The tension, depth and authentic atmosphere Canales and Guarnido bring to the setting is phenomenal, but just as with Arctic Nation it's interwoven so well with a solid, character driven plot that it enhances the story rather than overwhelming it. Another original, gripping piece of work.

The art is INCREDIBLE. It uses a mostly muted color panel, along with fantastic attention to detail and a jaw dropped "painted" style, to great effect in infusing Blacksad's adventures with emotion and tension. Couldn't be any better.

Overall Blacksad is a real treat for anyone who likes classic noir, and probably worth a least a look by just about everyone else.

Highest possible recommendation.

Unless you've read BLACKSAD, you probably had the same reaction I did:

"Oh, a serious funny animal comic, with a tough cat-man private eye?! Snort!"

But I try to read even things I think will be silly -- sometimes, I go out of my way to read things I think will be silly, since I enjoy making fun of silly things online -- so I found myself a copy of this BLACKSAD book, which collects three European-style album-length stories (originally published in 2000, 2002, and 2005) written by Juan Diaz Canales and drawn by Juanjo Guarnido. And a funny thing happened when I read it: it wasn't funny. Not at all. The funny-animal faces turned into just another way to tell the story -- and gave some interesting twists on old material, especially in the second story, "Arctic Nation" -- and those stories were tough, smart, compelling noir thrillers.

(It's not as if I haven't learned the "funny animals can be serious" lesson before -- books as varied as Little Nothings,Dungeon, and Maus have done it -- but maybe I was expecting these two Spanish creators' take on "grim & gritty" would be as laughable as most recent American efforts along those lines. Whatever the reason, I was wrong.)

So, yes: Jon Blacksad is a panther-man (I guess), in a world very much derived from US B-movies of the '40s and '50s -- this is clearly the US, and equally clearly that time of history, and both of those things should make telling these stories even more difficult for two modern European men, but there's no sign of strain or axe-grinding here. Blacksad has a complicated relationship with the local police -- neither used as an extension of their power nor reflexively kicked aside, but somewhere in between, depending on the case -- and inhabits a world full of many other complications, from racial politics to nuclear dangers to movie-star intrigue, and, of course, the requisite murder and secrets and lust and greed to fuel the plots he gets caught up in.

And these are three damn good mystery stories, with sharp dialogue and an excellent world-weary narration. Even more, Guarnido is a excellent artist, giving these dog-men and cat-women and owl-men a full life, with realistic body language and great facial expressions. There is a whole world inside BLACKSAD, and I really hope that these aren't the last stories to come from that world.

Love the book but the Kindle version offered here is not the same as the book!! I bought the Kindle version so I could introduce it to my kids on the family Kindle. Turns out the Kindle version is only 51 pages long or less than a third of the book length, representing "Volume 1" of a series which was originally printed as a separate volume. Very misleading to the average buyer who sees that there is a "Kindle version of the book" offered for sale when it is actually only a portion of the whole book.

"Arctic Nation" is the second of the Blacksad graphic novels. (And, disappointingly, the only one still in print in English; due to publisher issues, the first is out of print and the third was never finished). Blacksad is a detective in a world of anthropomorphized animals - he's a black cat with white around his muzzle.

The art is frankly amazing - Guarnido is a great artist, and he flexes his muscles here. The anthropomorphic characters are drawn in a realistic style that works perfectly, and the book is worth buying for the art alone. The story itself is a Noir one, set in a decaying neighborhood being taken over by racist thugs; fur color is used as the dividing line, while species is usually used as a shorthand to help define the characters.

The translated dialogue is fine; while nothing special, it matches the noir mood and isn't clunky or wooden. The main problem with the book is the pacing - it's too fast. The book is only 56 pages, and they cover a lot of ground. The art is obviously time-intensive given it's quality, but it still would have been better to have a little more breathing room in the book. The storyline and characters are good and have hints of depth, but never have time to reach the level of the astounding art.

"Arctic Nation" is a great book; I just wish it was longer.

The artwork is breathtakingly beautiful, the attention to period detail is extraordinary, the storytelling is tight and the dialogue is clever. One can read Blacksad quickly to enjoy the fast-paced, cinematic plot and then go back later to linger, savoring the visual richness of each panel. It's violent, sexy, profane, and grim. So much knowledgeable appreciation for the aesthetics of mid-century American culture (interior design, clothes, cars, vernacular etc.) went into creating this. I was amazed at the quality and depth of each individual panel — there are no throwaways.

Blacksad embodies everything I love about reading comic books: it's a complete break from reality and the laws of nature, yet it's done with style and intelligence and great technical skill, and it's made for adults.

Writer, Juan Díaz Canales, and artist Juanjo Guarnido have created the best film noir graphic novel series out there. The writing is top-notch, and the artwork is just flat-out gorgeous.

John Blacksad is an anthropomorphic cat, and a private investigator. This volume collects the first three Blacksad stories, all of which are simply outstanding! The series is beloved by the likes of Stan Lee and Will Eisner, and has been nominated three times for the Eisner Award. It has won at least ten other awards. I can't wait for the fourth Blacksad story to be published in the United States.

If you like the crime noir genre, do yourself a favor and buy this today!

Bookworm has reached an interesting conclusion about his reading habits regarding comics. While he likes the tales of Batman and Spiderman by Marvel and DC as much as any other geek, the comics he finds himself reading over and over again (webcomics mostly) all involve anthropomorphic animals as the characters. He does not know why, perhaps the writing is so good, along with the artwork that he simply overlooks the fact that its about talking animals. The tome today Bookworm will be speaking of is not a webcomic but it is a masterpiece of comics not webcomics, just comics.

The Story:

Blacksad chronicle the first three tales of John Blacksad, a hardboiled detective black cat, who lives in work in fifties New York. The stories are written in film-noir style and deal with themes common to that era. Crime, racism, class differences, and the Red Scare. Blacksad often gets into dangerous situations. Blacksad narrates these tales, in classic noir style.

The Good:

Where. To. Begin? Everything about Blacksad is splendid. The characters, the artwork, the stories, all exemplary. This nerdgasm could go one for a while but for the sake of reviewing, legitimate compliments and criticisms.

Blacksad feels real. Some may qualify it as furry comic, but nothing is further from the truth. These stories are about people. The people just happen to be animals. People have long been compared to animals all throughout human culture. The old woman who looks like a goose, the guy with a mustache who looks like a walrus. These archetypes are used throughout the book but it never seems unrealistic. Real people from that time period are also rendered in animal format. Such as Adolf Hitler and Allen Ginsburg.

The thing that really works about this comic is the level of detail. There are so many that the reader has to keep reading through it looking for that little detail that he or she missed that only adds to the richness of the world of Blacksad.

The setting is spot on, the writer and the artist really did their homework with this one. The stories almost perfectly match the overall tone of that time period of American history, or at least how its portrayed in film noir stories. The fifties are interesting period of time. They are long considered the most prosperous decade in American history but underneath all of that peace and prosperity was economic malaise, racial tension, and crime, all of which would set the stage for the social upheaval that the coming decades would bring. This spirit of American history is captured perfectly…by two guys from Spain. Some may be concerned by that, but Bookworm says bah!” That’s what so great about America. You can be from Spain, Austria or Canada and you can come here and be an American icon.

The main character of John Blacksad is what really causes this book to shine. The cynical detective is common enough, but Blacksad takes it to another level, with his musings taking on a philosophical tone to them. He seems to be an educated man, knowing how to play the piano and quoting quotes. He is obviously very disillusioned with American society, about crime and corruption (something even more relevant these days). Nonetheless, he maintains a good heart and a hopeful if not positive personality. He believes in love and he believes in friendship evinced by his relationship with Weekly. He is not one of those characters who drinks away his sorrows, He continues his life every day and tries to find some kind of good.

The Flaws:

There is very little fault to be found in Blacksad. As the Great Stan Lee says about it: “As good as it gets!”

The first volume, Somewhere Within The Shadows, the artwork is not quite up to the par as the later volumes. Its darker in its scheme and the lines and textures are grainier. It is far from crude or sketchy, it is clearly the work of a master. Its simply that, common with comics in general, the artwork can be sketchy at first but slowly improves over time. The later editions are brighter and smoother which is an improvement, but make no mistake, the artwork is incredible.

The second story, Arctic Nation, has racism as a main theme. Its not that the issue is not treated seriously and does not shy away from acts of violence perpetrated by both whites and blacks, it is simply the fact, racism is a little hard to pull off in world where the characters have green and orange skin/fur and/or have stripes and spots. Not to mention the fact that white is a pretty rare color in the animal kingdom. Then again, that could be the root of their superiority. Racism is portrayed realistically by the writer and the artist does a good job of making African American characters, for lack of a better term, look black, which works in the story’s favor by driving up the realism. It’s just the core concept in this setting feels a little shaky.

Finally, the narrative can sometimes work against itself. The duo make extensive uses of flashbacks, particularly in later volumes. The narrative, throughout is consistent enough that the story makes sense, but at times it can be a little confusing on when the flashback ends and the present story begins.

Final Verdict:

Blacksad is a masterpiece of fiction. No two ways about it. Bookworm can read the comic from end to end five times in a row and never tire of it, for there is always a small detail or line of text that was missed and makes it all the more rewarding. For a book starring animals, it has some of the most human characters ever.

Five out of Five Stars.

Go Buy It NOW!!!!

The art and style of Blacksad is simply breathtakingly cool and smooth. Very neat style. The story is warm and resonated with me a lot. This story was very sexy.

The story follows as Detective John Blacksad investigates a murder. It's pretty straight forward but it's more than just a simple murder mystery. I can not say enough good about this book.

Oh, and the people are all animals.

I didn't expect this to be as interesting as it is. Despite the animals, it is easy to relate to the characters. You stop seeing them as animals almost instantly. The art is varied enough to be captivating. All around, great comic.

At first I thought this was just the first volume in a book, I already owned the second one in paperback and the sketchbook in paperback, but this is actually the first 3 comics together in hardcover, so its a wonderful deal to get all 3.
Second, you shouldn't take this as "just a furry comic". Its not, its gritty and dramatic noir comic in a wonderful art style, that uses anthropomorphic characters, sometimes to the extent of using it to stereotype roles,(if you read the 2nd one, Artic Nation, you'll know what I mean). I would say it would be on par with something like the Dinotopia series, using a traditional and well done art style to tell a story.

Incredible narrative and spectacular illustrations, a wonderful combination. A comic that any home library should have.
Very good quality in binding and printing. The atmosphere in the illustrations is very well done, almost like being in a movie. I recommend 100%

This is a masterpiece. The illustration is unparralleled and the story is a thriller. Have read many graphic novels and seen many illustrators but there is nothing like this out there. Too bad it is so hard to come across, US publisher went bankrupt, perhaps can be found on international sites (French, spanish, German). Buy this book and see for yourself, you won't be able to look away.

I can not recommend Blacksad enough. Guarnido art is like a dark Disney cartoon. Imagine a Bogey film but animals. This is a book that you will revisit and lend to your friends. Enjoyable stories with clever Noir twists. Do yourself a favour and pick this book up.

I can not recommend Blacksad enough. Guarnido art is like a dark Disney cartoon. Imagine a Bogey film but animals. This is a book that you will revisit and lend to your friends. Enjoyable stories with clever Noir twists. Do yourself a favour and pick this book up.

The publisher Dark Horse Comics on their site has listed this item as having a second run print release of October 20, 2010. Now, these dates often get pushed back, but this means they will print this again. No one should feel compelled to pay more than list price for this. Also, the first 2 stories were translated and published years ago, in a larger format, and can be found on e bay. Also, the first story especially is well done, the second story the writing is not as good, but all of the art is amazing. Thanks and enjoy! hope this was helpful!

This amazing series is always a number one recommendation. The artwork and writing are both superb, and this hardbound collection is the first time the third Blacksad story has been printed in English. Without a doubt, worth the money.