Sometimes books seem like shiny gems and I bring them home to hoard like treasures, before seeing how dull they seem under the light of my lair.

I’ll think of a friend who would like this one better. It’s destined for someone else.

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SYNOPSIS

Private investigator John Blacksad is up to his feline ears in mystery, digging into the backstories behind murders, child abductions, and nuclear secrets. Guarnido’s sumptuously painted pages and rich cinematic style bring the world of 1950s America to vibrant life, with Canales weaving in fascinating tales of conspiracy, racial tension, and the “red scare” Communist witch hunts of the time. Guarnido reinvents anthropomorphism in these pages, and industry colleagues no less than Will Eisner, Jim Steranko, and Tim Sale are fans!

Whether John Blacksad is falling for dangerous women or getting beaten to within an inch of his life, his stories are, simply put, unforgettable.

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REVIEW

Mixed feelings.

Visually? GORGEOUS book. The artwork & colors look stunning on every page.

Story-wise? I disliked the first story & stayed stuck for a month. I was SO bored, I barely remember what happened in that one… The other stories were better because I cared about the characters John Blacksad was trying to help/save.

The vibes were nice (if you like noir mysteries) and it was satisfying when the cases were solved at the end of each chapter.

My biggest gripes with Blacksad:

1. I don’t understand the point of making everyone animals. It looks nice visually, but adds nothing to the story. The characters seem to view each other as human & only the reader views them as animals.
2. Sometimes the animal for each character seems based on personality (which offended me on the animals’ behalves, being associated with humankind’s flaws), but sometimes it seemed based on visual factors (example: black animals are black people, white animals are white people. the polar bear & snowy owl are white supremacists since they’re… white? I don’t get it. Polar bears don’t give me colonizer/white supremacist vibes, their land is constantly being stolen. Justice for the polar bear, please!)
3. There was so much more stylization & variety with the male characters. They looked like really cool animals. Meanwhile, the female ones seemed like pin-ups girls wearing a cat nose & ears…

Here’s some quick pictures to illustrate my last gripe.

All the men look super distinct once again. Stylized.

10 women in a room, but all of them look human except small ears.

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