Ligne claire, or clear line, is a drawing style started by Hergé in the 1930s in Belgium. It is said that the creator of Tintin was inspired by the American comics of the 1920s and 1930s (including Winsor McCay’s Little Nemo) but also by glass drawing techniques, which didn’t allow for colors to mix. Characterized by a black outline, strong colors, no hash marks, and a straightforward plot, the clear line became the main style of the so-called Brussels School of comics, gathered around the famous Tintin Magazine. The Brussels School included iconic creators Edgar P. Jacobs (Blake and Mortimer), Roger Leloup (Yoko Tsuno), and Jacques Martin (Alix). In the following years, the style continued to influence more and more Franco-Belgian creators, such as Floc’h, Jef Nys, and Jacques Tardi. The ligne claire traveled further across borders and decades, and was adopted by contemporary comics creators such as the Dutch Joost Swarte (who coined the term in 1977) and Peter van Dongen, the Spaniard Paco Roca, the Norwegian Jason, and American creators Chris Ware and Jason Lutes. Europe Comics is proud to be publishing some of the most illustrious names of this particularly European comics style.

An English Trilogy

I say! If you’re a fan of ghastly weather and mysteries wrapped in tweed, then you’ll be delighted at this complete collection from the classic series “Albany & Sturgess,” enhanced with bonus material and extra British flair. Discover bloody murders and plots that will frazzle your nerves, already frayed by the seemingly never-ending British rain. Rivière and Floc’h present an extraordinary combination of smoke and mirrors, of shadows and ghosts, which provokes in the reader an almost voyeuristic pleasure as it reveals the process of literary creation and its mysterious cocktail of reality and imagination. Spiffing!

The Adventures of Theodore Poussin

The dreams of a pencil pusher longing for adventure and distant shores come true when the maritime transport company where he works sends him on a trip to 1928 French Indochina. But Theodore Poussin is about to get more than he bargained for as he sets sail on the Cap Padaran: a mysterious, poetry-reciting man with ominous predictions about his future follows him everywhere; stories surrounding his late uncle Captain Steene, whose grave he promised his family he would find, are vague and contradictory; and he somehow ends up in the crossfire of a guerilla war near the Chinese border, forced to run for his life and toward even more unexpected events.

Spirou: Hope Against All Odds

It seemed inevitable that Europe would once again be in the dark clutches of war, and now that conflict has broken out, Spirou must face its horrible reality while staying true to himself. He does his best to maintain his friendship with Fantasio, even as the latter enlists in the Belgian army. And when Spirou meets Felix, a German‐Jewish painter, his eyes are opened to the plight of the Jewish people and the dangerous situation in Europe and beyond. On top of all that, Spirou’s girlfriend Kassandra has been lost in the confusion of the war. In the first of four volumes, the orphan bellhop’s adventures will take him all across war-torn Belgium, discovering the world as it falls apart around him.

Spirou: The Diary of a Naive Young Man

Summer 1939, Brussels. The orphaned teenager Spirou is working as a bellboy at a fancy hotel, living in a small apartment with his pet squirrel, Spip, and taking his first steps into the land of romance with a girl whose name he doesn’t even know. Meanwhile, the world is rushing headlong towards war. Conflict is not inevitable, however, as Polish diplomats have agreed to meet the Nazis at Spirou’s hotel in a last-ditch effort to prevent war. Communist spies, Nazi ambitions, and ridiculous reporters can’t stop Spirou’s naïve mind from outsmarting them all—and possibly saving the world! If only he can get a little help.

The Amazing Adventures of Jules

Jules, a nice boy living a quiet life without any particular problems (except his little brother set on murdering his guinea pig), is selected by the Global Space Agency to take part in the first expedition to planet Alpha aboard an interstellar spaceship. The journey will last 8 weeks for the passengers, and 8 months in Earth-time (because of relativity)… Thus Jules embarks upon the voyage of a lifetime, stowaway guinea pig in tow, accompanied by the other members of this glorious team of space explorers: a couple of eccentrics who collect Nobel prizes; a rather tetchy roommate; a drunken pilot who seems to mess up the landings every time and endangers interplanetary peace; and a pretty exobiologist who will study any extraterrestrial life they come across. Get ready for takeoff!

Atom Agency

Atom Vercorian is trying to make it as a private detective in post-war Paris, and he just needs that one big case to make a name for himself. His father, a police detective, isn’t making any headway in the case of a jewelry theft in the south of France. Atom, however, gets a lead that takes him and his partners, Mimi and Jojo, south to Marseille, where they meet ex-resistance fighters, gangsters, and henchmen. With audacity and enthusiasm, Atom and his cohorts dance their way through the worlds of organized crime, pro wrestling, and the ultra-rich in the pursuit of Miss France 1930’s stolen jewels. This could be Atom’s big break—if he survives the experience!

Jeremy

Frankie wins the first prize in a contest: a round-the-world trip with four friends aboard the Silver Wave. Little do they know that James, their arch enemy, is watching them, patiently waiting to teach Jeremy and his friends a little lesson… But not everything goes as planned.

Rampokan

1946: The Dutch have been driven out of Indonesia by the Japanese invasion, but they refuse to recognize the country’s declaration of independence. In an attempt to regain their former colony, the government mobilizes the Royal Dutch Indian Army. When they fail to take control, an unofficial force is sent to subdue the “terrorists.” Among the volunteers: Johan Knevel, who has personal reasons for joining: he wants to find out what happened to his Indonesian nurse. But far from rediscovering the lost idyll of his youth, he is confronted by the complex realities of a country in turmoil.

©Lucky Comics

Lucky Luke Swiss Bliss

Even a hero from the Far West needs a vacation from time to time, and looking after a few Swiss cows seems like the perfect opportunity for Lucky Luke. These milk cows happen to produce the precious substance necessary for the production of authentic Swiss chocolate! The West has just discovered cocoa, and chocolate should soon be a commodity in all mouths. And yet… between vicious autograph hounds, the chief of the Chicoree tribe, and two cowboys whose frustrated love leads to even more frustrating brawling, will Lucky Luke end up yearning for a reunion with the Daltons?

Cover banner from Theodore Poussin  © Frank Le Gall/ Dupuis

Are you interested in French history and politics? Here is a collection of comics and graphic novels about one of the most influential men of French history.

The Battle V1

It’s May 1809. Napolean’s great army is getting ready to cross the Danube on the immense floating bridge that they constructed overnight on the orders of the France’s most famous military genius. On the other side of the river, Archduke Charles and his Austrian army are waiting for them, determined to get their revenge for the humiliating defeat they suffered at Austerlitz. And so the horror begins…

The Battle V2

The epic tale of the Battle of Essling continues! The opening scene plunges us right into the action as Napoleon’s soldiers engage in a bitter struggle against the Austrians. This is a comic brimming with real historical figures, from Napoleon, to Masséna, to Stendhal, and even Colonel Lejeune, for all of whom Rambaud found his inspiration in the historical archives of the epoch.

TheBattle V3

When they destroyed the bridge of Lobau island, the Austrian army put an end to Napoleon’s offensive. After two days of absolute carnage, all that’s left is for Massena to organize the withdrawal. Three weeks later, the fighting will start again, this time at Wagram. But that’s another story…

Game of Masks V1

Game of Masks V2

In “The Ant,” the plot thickens. The Stingray is put in charge of finding a prostitute named Opal and ends up in the vises of the Ant, the self-proclaimed ruler of the Paris underworld. On his search, the Stingray will encounter a slew of strange and fearsome characters. Some of them will help him on his quest, others will make his life that much harder. Dufaux and Jamar’s inspiration remains the great French novelists of the 19th century – Dumas, Victor Hugo – who dared to plunge into the depths of the gritty Paris of their day.

Game of Masks V3

Paris, 1803. A young dandy is dead. His conniving sister will follow shortly. The prostitutes at Madame Easter’s establishment have been slaughtered. A high ranking politician is threatened by scandal. Murder, intrigue, blackmail and double-crossing… Missing love letters and a compromising accounting ledger… As the Stingray, a couple of heartless thugs, the Ant, and the Bee all scramble to recover the precious documents, the eternal mystery remains: what terrible secret lurks behind the mysterious masks?

Game of Masks V4

As the hour of First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte’s glory approaches, his paranoia intensifies and heads start to roll. More plotting, more backstabbing… A not-so-pretty young society lady is courted by an ambitious young man with dubious intentions; a sinister priest enters the scene; a man hangs in a jail cell; a young prostitute’s fate is sealed; an aristocrat is wrongfully accused; and a mysterious pack of wolves roams the streets of Paris as History marches on, unstoppable.

Game of Masks V5

All of France is in a tizzy as Napoleon’s coronation as Emperor of the French People draws near, and the most pressing issues at court revolve around seating arrangements, optimal viewing of the ceremony and the Pope’s traveling entourage. This isn’t to say that scheming and shenanigans have taken a backseat, however: a heartbroken young lady seeks poisonous revenge, a redheaded Squirrel gets caught by an Ant, the sinister priest is back… and in the midst of all this, the two men with the masks finally decide to meet face to face.

Game of Masks V6

Paris, 1804. First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte is hours away from becoming Emperor of the French People. The Bee is about to change History and embrace his destiny, while the Ant makes a desperate attempt to change his. Enemies rush about with last-minute plans to eliminate the usurper, a Squirrel and a Stingray get chummy, the mysterious veiled woman finally speaks, the underworld prepares for some changes… and a mask is up for grabs.

Berezina V1

In 1812, in order to keep his stranglehold on Europe, Napoleon had no choice but to declare war on the Russian emperor, Alexander. After three months of marching, his men, starved and exhausted, finally made it to Moscow… only to discover that the city had been deserted. Thus Napoleon and his army took up residence in the Russian capital without even the slightest resistance. But by nightfall, Moscow was on fire. Houses, churches and even the Kremlin were ablaze, and the entire French army risked being reduced to ashes. Caught in the trap, Napoleon was forced to leave the city and get back on the road to face his enemy.

Berezina V2

After the devastating fire that destroyed Moscow and drove out Napoleon’s troops, what can the French general possibly do next? He had originally planned to continue all the way to Asia. For a man wrapped up in his dreams of greatness, it is quite simply out of the question to go back to France at this point. But winter’s on its way, and each attempt to move forward results in death by the thousands.

Berezina V3

In attempting to extend his fledgling empire eastward into Russia, Napoleon has misjudged both the enemy and the weather. Avoiding direct conflict, the Russian army frustrates his every move with “guerilla” tactics; it seems whichever way he turns, the Russians are lying in wait. As if that weren’t enough to contend with, winter has arrived with a vengeance and the French forces are literally freezing to death. Must Napoleon admit defeat or sacrifice still more men to his dream of glory? Whatever he decides, he must cross the Berezina river–and the only bridge is in enemy hands…

Header image: Berezina V1 – The Fire © Richaud, Gil / Dupuis

What are the hardships that migrants face on their journeys? Here is a collection of comics and graphic novels which shine a light on their courage and resilience.

Haytham

Haytham al-Aswad is a young boy like any other, growing up in the Syrian town of Deera: he plays soccer, hangs out with his friends, and is studying for an upcoming test. But when the revolution breaks out and people take to the streets to protest the brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad, Haytham suddenly goes from kicking the ball to dodging bullets. His activist father is forced into exile, and the rest of the family eventually join him in France, where Haytham’s new life as a refugee brings its own set of challenges. An engrossing, first-hand account of one of the most devastating political and humanitarian crises in recent history.

The Shadows

At the end of an arduous journey, refugee 214 finally gets his chance to enter the Other World. But to see his wish granted, the boy must first tell the story of how he and his sister were forced to flee their homeland. Frightened and helpless, they crossed forests, deserts, and seas, encountering creatures each more mysterious and frightening than the last: the capitalist ogre, the smuggler-snake, and the ever-present shadows from the great beyond… The boy’s story must be told in every detail—but will the truth save him, or condemn him? This is the odyssey of a brother and sister who are forced to fight for their freedom and survival at every turn, all while trying not to forget about where they’ve come from, and what they’ve left behind. A subtle and captivating tale about exile and refugees today.

London

“If you’re looking for words of wisdom, you won’t find them here, ’cause they’re drenched in scotch and beer… But there’s something there underneath it all, some ordinary life.” Economic emigration has never seemed so hopeless, and yet so promising. An engrossing portrayal of a hard-won life led by so many today, from Polish creators Dominik Szcześniak and Rafał Trejnis.

Django: Hand on Fire

“Django: Hand on Fire” tells the story of the youth of Django Reinhardt, a Roma raised outside Paris who would go on to be one of the most influential guitarists of all time. We follow his early years as an aimless and rebellious kid who is heading for a life of trouble until his devoted younger brother Nin-Nin convinces their mother Négros to buy him a banjo. Captivated by its possibilities and spurred by his natural talent, Django becomes obsessed with the instrument and quickly surpasses his older peers, mastering the popular bal-musette and intrigued by the new jazz coming over from the States. Soon he is playing in clubs and winning awards. He is on the verge of international success at the age of 18 when a tragedy strikes that will mark the rest of his life and career: he is badly burned in a caravan fire and spends the next years relearning how to play the guitar with only two fully-functioning fingers. This is an amazing story of perseverance and of fierce family love that is little known even to many jazz aficionados.

The Forgotten Slaves of Tromelin

This story takes place on a tiny, far-flung island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, whose nearest neighbor is Madagascar, 500 kilometers away… In 1760, the Utile, a ship carrying black slaves from Africa, was shipwrecked here and abandoned by her crew. The surviving slaves had to struggle to stay alive in this desolate land for fifteen years… When this tale got back to France, it became the cornerstone of the battle of Enlightenment to outlaw slavery. More than two hundred years later, the artist Sylvain Savoia accompanied the first archeological mission in search of understanding how these men and women, who had come from the high mountains of Madagascar, had survived alone in the middle of the ocean. This is the story of that mission, through which we’re exposed to the extraordinary story of the slaves themselves.

Macaroni!

The touching story of a child getting to know his grandfather, an Italian immigrant living in Belgium. 11-year-old Romeo thinks of his grandfather as nothing but an “old pain-in-the-butt.” So when he finds out that he’s going to have to spend a few days with him at his crumbling old house, without even a TV to keep him entertained… well, it’s his idea of hell. But there are some surprises in store for Romeo during his visit. He changes his mind about a few things, perhaps thanks to his grandfather’s neighbor, Lucy, who tells him about her own “nonno,” and shows him how a spoil tip can be a thing of beauty. Or perhaps it’s thanks to Romeo’s dad, who speaks for the first time about his childhood relationship with his father. But it’s mostly thanks to Ottavio who, beneath his old, grouchy exterior, conceals the hard life he has led, full of suffering and sacrifice. It is a life the 11-year-old Romeo finds hard to comprehend, but which gives him a deeper understanding of someone from another century. It started off as just a short holiday to a grey Belgian town. But this holiday turns into an opportunity for three generations of men to lift the silence that surrounds them. A touching story about Italian immigration, coal mining, communication between the generations and the difficultly of opening up when you’ve spent your whole life in silence.

Header image: The Forgotten Slaves of Tromelin © Savoia / Dupuis

Ahead of the LGBTQAI+ Pride Month, we have put together an inspiring list of comics and graphic novels full of irresistible romances, which celebrate the movement for love, acceptance, and equality for all.

Tanz!

Germany, April 1957. Uli has a dream: to become a famous Broadway dancer. But as a modern dance student at the prestigious Folkwang school, Uli’s energetic and outgoing personality stands out in sharp contrast to the melancholy of post-war Europe. During a trip to Berlin, he meets Anthony, a young American dancer. The attraction is immediate. Anthony convinces Uli to come to New York and try his luck on Broadway. The young men part ways, but Uli will pack his bags and embark on an adventure that will take him to a new life overflowing with life, color, and movement — but also disappointment, harsh reality, and a good dose of heartbreak.

Muchacho

1976, Nicaragua. “Tacit” Somoza rules the small Central American country with the support of the ruthless Guardia. The son of a powerful family from the capital, Managua, Gabriel is a young priest with an incredible talent for sacred art. He is sent to enhance his painting skills with Ruben, a priest in San Juan–a little village located at the base of a mountain. Despite his difficulty integrating with the villagers due to his father’s reputation, Gabriel slowly gets to know them and, eventually, to love them. Encouraged by Ruben, he paints the villagers. He paints them as they are–men and women of flesh and blood. But Gabriel is soon witness to acts of military repression of the locals. It doesn’t take long for him and the villagers to get swept away in these times of growing rebellion and smoldering revolution. Nourished by a sense of divine justice, Gabriel begins to understand the villainy of those in power and their cronies. When he’s eventually taken in and treated by the guerillas camped out in the forest, he lies about his family name and swaps his pencils and paint brushes for firearms. As he gazes beyond the surface and deeper into the depths, Gabriel also discovers his own humanity, made of flesh and desires…

Forget Me Not 

When Clémence, a student and actress struggling with personal issues, sees how miserable her grandmother is in her nursing home, she decides to break her out and take her on a road trip to the coast so she can see her childhood home one last time. But traveling with a senior with Alzheimer’s Disease comes with a fair amount of challenges, and the journey is fraught with highs, lows, and near misses. Still, it’s a chance for the two women to reconnect, with each other and with themselves, and it’s a chance for Clémence to give Grammy the gift of one last thrilling and joyful experience.

Giselle & Beatrice 

Beatrice is stuck in a depressing office job: her hard work is overlooked, her paycheck’s so small she’s about to lose her apartment, and her boss won’t give her a promotion unless she sleeps with him. But Beatrice just took a vacation to Africa, where she learned a very particular set of skills, both in and out of the bedroom. She’s about to transform her boss’s life in a way that he never saw coming. She’ll get a maid to clean her dirty apartment. And maybe, in the process, Beatrice will finally find love . . .

SHI

During the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, two women’s lives become irrevocably intertwined when they both fall victim to a nefarious underground fraternity of ex-soldiers from England’s upper crust who have sworn their lives to defending the British Empire—as well as their own decadent lifestyles. In this first volume, young rebel Jennifer Winterfield and the mysterious Kitamakura from Japan forge an unlikely alliance along with Jennifer’s doctor uncle and a street urchin named Pickles. Together they lay the groundwork for a criminal organization that will go on to sow terror in the hearts of the colonialists and industrialists who tried to put them down.

Nationalist Love

When Zapsky and Byro meet during a right-wing nationalist march, their joint escape from the police results in an unexpected and violent outburst of passion. Their initial euphoria quickly turns into doubt and fear—after all, if their buddies found out about them, the consequences would be terrible… But now that they’ve come together, will they be able to simply forget and move on with their lives? Or is it something more lasting, despite the risk it represents for both? “Nationalist Love” is the third graphic novel by Jakub Topor, nominated for the graphic novel of the year award at the Lodz Comics Festival.

Lucky Luke: Swiss Bliss

Even a hero from the Far West needs a vacation from time to time, and looking after a few Swiss cows seems like the perfect opportunity for Lucky Luke. These milk cows happen to produce the precious substance necessary for the production of authentic Swiss chocolate! The West has just discovered cocoa, and chocolate should soon be a commodity in all mouths. And yet… between vicious autograph hounds, the chief of the Chicoree tribe, and two cowboys whose frustrated love leads to even more frustrating brawling, will Lucky Luke end up yearning for a reunion with the Daltons?

A Woman’s Voice

Jean is a medical student who’s about to start her final residency rotation in gynecology. But she’d much rather practice surgery than listen to simpering women moan about their problems all day. Plus, this department is headed by the notorious Dr. Karma, renowned throughout the hospital for his stubborn mindset and unorthodox practices. However, in her first week, Jean begins to realize that Dr. Karma’s reputation isn’t fully accurate, and, perhaps, the complexities of women’s stories are worth listening to and respecting. A modern classic of a revolution in women’s medical care, adapted from the bestselling novel by Martin Winckler.

The Misfits Club for Girls

Four high school girls who have problems fitting in decide to join forces and form their own club, which they feel will empower them to better face the world and their own individual problems. Their first goal is to get girl No. 5 to join them: Paloma, a troubled and anti-social teenager who’s lived in more than fifteen foster homes since she was six. But before the Misfits can welcome Paloma into the fold, they must first get her to confront her difficult and tragic past.

Masks

Al, Siera, and Hector have nothing in common until they all suddenly come into possession of strange, antique masks. Masks that confer powers beyond imagination. But how do you handle such a gift when you’re only fifteen years old? And why were they chosen? Time is running out to find the answers: a powerful mask has fallen into the wrong hands, and something must be done before it’s too late…

Sixty Years in Winter

On the day of her sixtieth birthday, Josy refuses to blow out the candles on her cake. Her bags are packed. She’s come to a decision: she’s going to win back her freedom by taking off in her old Volkswagen minibus! Even if it means leaving behind her husband and family. In a state of shock, they all blame her for making such a selfish move. But is it really so selfish to listen to that little voice deep within? Josy soon finds support among new friends who have faced similar scorn and incomprehension from family and society… But will that be enough to stop her from leaving once more? Perhaps a newfound love can help her find her way…

Header image: SHI © Zidrou, Josep Homs / Dargaud

Here is a collection of comic books where heroes — inseparable from their metal wings, cockpits and engines — fly higher than the birds.

The Aviator

1917, East Africa. A German pastor—also a doctor, and married to a Frenchwoman—teaches his son Josef to fly the Albatros biplane he uses to visit his rural patients. But the war raging in Europe has spread to Africa, where the Allies are fighting the Germans in their various colonies. Against this backdrop—and strictly against his father’s wishes—Josef dreams of flying the nest, and makes a decision that will have terrible consequences…

Black Angel

It is the early 1920s. The Volstead Act has recently prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol, which means that an active black market has sprung up—a market controlled by legendary gangsters such as Al Capone. Supplies must be secretly shipped from France to its outpost in Saint-Pierre, Newfoundland. This dangerous and illegal trade involves aviators flying primitive sea planes—aviators such as Bessie the “Black Angel,” whose mixed heritage also makes her the target of the flourishing Ku Klux Klan. Based on the historical figure of Bessie Coleman, she flies in the face of injustice, prejudice, and discrimination.

Wings of War – Eagle

The son of a hero from the Great War who made his fortune in the steel industry, James O’Brady is destined for a great career in politics. When his father is appointed ambassador to Germany, James goes with him, to get an inside of view of the geopolitical landscape in the mid-1930s. But James follows his own path… which is destined to cross that of a young German fighter pilot.

Wings of War – Adler

Hans Raeder lost both his father and his younger brother in 1918. To cope with the pain he, like Germany itself, takes refuge in fantasies—not only the fantasies of others, but also those of his own creation. In a country rebuilding itself on myths and deception, Hans is prepared to do anything to become the idol he worships: a fighter pilot… even if it means turning into a Nazi monster. What he doesn’t realize is that his destiny is linked to another young pilot, on the other side of the Atlantic…

Mezek

1948. The creation of the Hebrew state is proving to be not exactly a peaceful affair, starting with the Egyptian bombs that are regularly falling on Tel-Aviv. All that Israel has to fight the lethal enemy ‘Spitfires’ are some old ‘Mezek’, flown by Jewish volunteers from all over the world, but also mercenaries from rather more sinister backgrounds. Bjorn is one of those mercenaries. He’s come to risk his life for several million dollars, a fact that galls his brothers-in-arms, who are fighting not for cash but for their ideals!

Bear’s Tooth

Silesia, 1930. Three children play with toy airplanes. Three friends – Max the Polish Jew, Werner and Hanna the Germans. All dream of becoming pilots, but they won’t all have the same opportunities, and the world is heading down a dark road… 1944. Max is now an ace in the US Navy, while Hanna is one of Germany’s top test pilots. Will anything remain of their old friendship, as the sides they each chose are locked in a struggle to the death?

Three friends, united by their love of flying, torn apart by different origins. Amidst the madness of WW2, what will prove strongest: friendship, or loyalty?

Cover banner from Black Angel © Yann, Henriet / Dupuis

Kid Toussaint, born in Belgium, is an author and translator who has also worked in the audiovisual sector. His specialty, it’s safe to say, is comics, with an impressive and quickly growing collection of successful series. With Dupuis alone, his portfolio includes the collaborative project Magic 7 as well as Télémaque (Telemachus, Europe Comics), a Homerian reboot created alongside Kenny Ruiz. And in 2019, this list is set to grow further with Kid Noize, about the Belgian DJ phenom of the same name, and Animal Jack, bringing to life a young boy who just happens to be a shape-shifter, both published by Dupuis (Europe Comics in English).

Animal Jack

Jack is a typical grade school kid… except that he never speaks a word, is followed everywhere he goes by a flying bug, and can turn into any animal he wants, usually to come to the rescue of his family and classmates. Not everybody appreciates his strange behavior, however. When the town’s children start disappearing into the forest, though, Jack’s special ability is their only hope. Will Jack ever be understood and accepted by those around him? And will the townsfolk come to see the forest as anything besides a danger and a nuisance?

Magic 7

On his first day of class at a new school, Leo, a boy who talks to the ghosts of famous dead people for fun, meets Hamlin, who can talk to animals, and Farah, a human flamethrower. The new friends band together to track down the thief who has made off with the school’s prized trophy, and must use all their powers to fight off an army of gigantic robots intent on destroying them. What they don’t know is that this is all just part of a much, much bigger plan…

Kid Noize

A monkey-faced man named Kid Noize who has a 1977 Mustang, a talking dog, and dreams of being a famous DJ, travels between worlds to deliver mysterious packages to people. Unfortunately, he has lost the package of his next recipient, a young boy named Sam who is having a hard time in life, grieving the loss of his mother while trying to adapt to a tough new town and school. Neither Sam nor Kid Noize has any idea what awaits them as they join forces to find the package that will help shape Sam’s destiny…

Telemachus

Ulysses, mythical hero and king of Ithaca, left years ago to fight in the Trojan War. He never came home. His son, Telemachus, an impatient and immature prince who is as clumsy as he is ambitious, decides to go looking for him. On the way, he meets the hot-headed princess Polycaste, who helps him in his perilous adventure full of vengeful gods and terrifying monsters. Will the winds be favorable to them?

Elle(s)

Elle is just another teenage girl… most of the time. Bubbly and good-natured, she wastes no time making friends on her first day at her new school. But Elle has a secret: she hasn’t come alone. She’s brought with her a colorful mix of personalities, which come out when she least expects it… Who is Elle, really? And will her new friends stand by her when they find out the truth?

Masks

Al, Siera, and Hector have nothing in common until they all suddenly come into possession of strange, antique masks. Masks that confer powers beyond imagination. But how do you handle such a gift when you’re only fifteen years old? And why were they chosen? Time is running out to find the answers: a powerful mask has fallen into the wrong hands, and something must be done before it’s too late…

Header image: Kid Toussaint / Rosa La Barbera / Giuseppe Quattrocchi / Dupuis

Comics can be the perfect way to learn more about taking care of our mental and physical health. What better way to learn than through beautiful art and interesting stories? Here is a list of graphic medicine graphic novels for you to enjoy, hand-picked from the Europe Comics catalog.

Aldo

Aldo has been twenty-eight for three hundred years. Despite his long life, he still hasn’t developed very good social skills. His whole family has been dead now for a long while, and nobody believes he is immortal. As a result, he leads a lonely existence. He is afraid to love anything or anyone, except for his beautiful Alfa Romeo and his little pug Gustav. When he tries to seek professional help, there too the truth seems too absurd for words. But then he spots someone on television and recognizes him from an encounter two hundred years ago. And he decides to visit the man to get some answers.

John

Almost everyone makes it to fifty these days. And so did John. When his daughters give him a ticket to Rome, he decides it’s time to conquer his fear of flying once and for all. But on the plane home he loses consciousness, and in the hospital he gets devastating news: he has colon cancer. What follows is a roller coaster of emotions, with ups and downs and newfound love… helping John realize just how much life is worth fighting for.

In The Moment

“In the Moment” is a modern Romeo and Juliet in two different time dimensions. In this unusual love story, Dutch author Hanco Kolk and Flemish author Kim Duchateau have found a particular way of working together, in which each of them draws one time dimension. Rafael Falstaff falls hopelessly in love with Sylvia, a chronowoman. He can see her, but he doesn’t see her move, nor can he touch her, because they would both die if he did. But he’s happy with just seeing her, until he realizes her life is in danger. He then decides to take action, with all that it entails… A story in two parts.

Through Lya’s Eyes

The day before her seventeenth birthday, Lya’s life changed forever. Hit by a speeding car and left for dead, she lost the use of her legs as well as some of her faith in the world… Lya learned to live again with the support of her parents. But having discovered that someone bought their silence, Lya is determined to unmask the perpetrator and obtain justice. Her search for the truth takes her to a famous law firm… and down a dangerous path. With the help of her friend Antoine, she’ll stop at nothing to get to the bottom of it all…

Rose

Ever since she was a little girl, Rose has had a special and troubling power: the ability to “double” herself and travel outside her body. She always saw it as something wrong with her… until now. When her father is murdered, Rose’s strange ability gives her a chance to find her father’s killer, solve a series of mysterious cold cases, and untangle a centuries-old curse. But maybe some secrets should stay buried…

Olive

Olive, age 17, has a rich and vivid inner life. She has created an imaginary world that she’s able to visit whenever she chooses. But her daily life on earth is shaken up by the arrival of a new roommate at boarding school, who won’t leave Olive alone. And even more upsetting: a mysterious spaceman makes a surprise appearance in her imaginary world! A coming-of-age story that will take Olive far from her comfort zone, as she discovers unsuspected sides of herself and the world around her.

Karmen

This is a graphic novel about death and suicide… but not in the way you think. It’s about death that can be reversible, when and if the right angels are looking. The dead person here is Catalina, a self-absorbed student who kills herself out of heartbreak. The angel is Karmen, an angel of the facetious, unusual sort. Her capacity for empathy is so great that she leads “her” dead on a journey toward redemption and, believe it or not, back to life! Full of surprises, metaphysics, and beautiful women, this graphic novel is tender and not devoid of humor.

Open-Hearted

Once an animator at Disney Studios, Nicolas Keramidas now makes a living as a cartoonist in Grenoble. He’s married to a wonderful woman, Chloé, has two energetic sons, and plays soccer every Sunday with his pals. He was also born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a rare combination of four heart defects that in 1973 made him one of the youngest children ever to undergo open-heart surgery. Forty-three years later, when his congenital condition stops him short during a soccer game, he’ll have to face surgery again, a saga he details in this moving, humorous, and above all, very human memoir.

The Two Lives of Penelope 

Penelope is a Belgian physician who works with Doctors Without Borders in war-torn Syria. She returns to Belgium when she can in order to see her husband and daughter, but the transition is hard. Her latest trip home for the holidays proves even tougher than usual, as the coexistence of the two excruciatingly different worlds she inhabits becomes increasingly fraught.

Forget Me Not

When Clémence, a student and actress struggling with personal issues, sees how miserable her grandmother is in her nursing home, she decides to break her out and take her on a road trip to the coast so she can see her childhood home one last time. But traveling with a senior with Alzheimer’s Disease comes with a fair amount of challenges, and the journey is fraught with highs, lows, and near misses. Still, it’s a chance for the two women to reconnect, with each other and with themselves, and it’s a chance for Clémence to give Grammy the gift of one last thrilling and joyful experience.

While The King Of Prussia Was Waging War, Who Do You Think Was Darning His Socks ?

Mrs. Hubeau looks after her 40-year-old handicapped son, Michel. Despite many happy moments, her daily life is far from easy, but she faces it with unparalleled courage and generosity. This is a beautiful homage to all the admirable people fighting in the shadows.

Nowhere Girl

This is the story of a girl growing up in the 1990s – a middle-schooler who finds herself lost in the gulf between childhood and adolescence, developing paralyzing fears of failure, school, other people, and her own changing body. Along the way, she becomes obsessed with the Beatles… which might be just what she needs to find her way back to being okay. Yeah yeah yeah!

Elle(s)

Elle is just another teenage girl… most of the time. Bubbly and good-natured, she wastes no time making friends on her first day at her new school. But Elle has a secret: she hasn’t come alone. She’s brought with her a colorful mix of personalities, which come out when she least expects it… Who is Elle, really? And will her new friends stand by her when they find out the truth?

Header image: Open-Hearted © Nicolas Keramidas / Dupuis

Born in Brussels, Belgian author Benoît Drousie began his adult life as a teacher before switching to writing in the 1990s. The year 1997 marked the release of his renowned comic book series Ducoboo, and just like that, he was reborn as Zidrou! Since then, he has become one of the most prolific and accomplished comics scriptwriters active today. Here is our reading list dedicated to Zidrou and the fantastic artists he has collaborated with throughout the years.

Protecto

Lorenzo works for proTECTO, an agency of not-exactly-guardian-angels whose jobs are to protect the lives of mortals who have important roles to play in the future. Lorenzo’s charge, a carefree teenage girl named Kim, is one of the most important clients, classified as “major elite.” Unfortunately, Lorenzo gets distracted and his charge is run over by the heartless and not-entirely-stable Madame, a sort of grim reaper cruising around in a black Citroën. Lorenzo decides to go against the rules of proTECTO and fate itself to save Kim with the help of his fellow protector, Aegis, and Kim’s heartbroken older sister, Alicia.

The Mighty Return of Ric Hochet

Ric Hochet, the famous Parisian newshound, is not himself. He’s wearing a mysterious bandage, he isn’t driving his usual car, and a strange smell is emanating from his apartment… When he’s invited to his old friend Police Commissioner Bourdon’s wedding in the South of France, his infallible memory starts failing and his legendary luck begins to desert him. Then an attempt is made on Bourdon’s life. What’s eating Ric and why would anyone want to murder Bourdon? Clearly, things are not all what they seem—least of all Ric himself.

Bearskin

“Bearskin” takes us on a trip to modern day Italy and then all the way to the United States of the late 1930s. Every day, Amadeo bikes up the hill from his small hometown on a beautiful island off the coast of Italy to read the daily horoscope to Don Palermo. Little does he know that this blind and powerless old man with a cane in his hand used to be a bear tamer, not to mention his later shenanigans as the right-hand man of a powerful mafia boss. A highly moving story of love, vengeance and cowardice.

The Folies Bergère

We’re right in the middle of World War I, deep in the trenches. The soldiers are confronted by unimaginable suffering and violent death on a daily basis. Considered as nothing more than cannon fodder by their superiors, they try desperately to survive. Partly as an act of defiance in the face of hardship, partly as the ultimate irony, the soldiers nickname their regiment after the famous Parisian cabaret club ‘Folies Bergère’. They laugh and joke, they write, they draw, they fight, they die in appalling circumstances, they kill themselves, they lose their minds. And then one of their number is sentenced to death by firing squad… and miraculously survives…

While the King of Prussia…

Mrs. Hubeau looks after her 40-year-old handicapped son, Michel. Despite many happy moments, her daily life is far from easy, but she faces it with unparalleled courage and generosity. This is a beautiful homage to all the admirable people fighting in the shadows.

The Client

An average Joe falls in love with a hooker from Ecuador and, when she goes missing, pressures a local mobster into telling him where she is by kidnapping his only daughter… What could possibly go wrong? A story about second chances, with a buddy road trip and musings on art and beauty thrown in for good measure.

Vice Squad

It is the winter of 1937, and Aimé Louzeau lives with his mother and their servant. One day, he goes to the Quai des Orfèvres, the police prefecture of Paris, to speak with the vice squad. He currently works in the Criminal Investigation department, but crimes of passion and back alley stabbings really aren’t his thing, so he requests a transfer from Chief Inspector Séverin. The atmosphere immediately darkens, as Louzeau is thrown straight into the interrogation of a pimp called Guapito and his prostitute.

Glorious Summers

In this nostalgic account, the Faldérault family sets out for a final summer vacation together before an impending marital separation disrupts the family dynamics for good. Along the way, heading south to France from Brussels, Pierre, Maddie, and their children revel in impromptu skinny-dips, family sing-alongs, and camping in the wild, ultimately finding a renewed zest for life—and vacation!

A Hell of an Innocent

When unassuming candy store owner Ike Hopper dies of a heart attack, he leaves behind a bombshell that rocks his small Australian town. His confession of guilt to a 27-year old murder—the savage stabbing of local girl Lee Duncan—brings his brother Greg, accused of the crime, out of the bush where he’s been hiding. But Greg, returning to his hometown of Dubbo to tie up loose ends, finds not all ghosts go quietly to the grave. For instance, he seems to see his ex-wife Lee taunting him wherever he wanders… A hard-hitting, guilt-ridden, sun-drenched slice of outback noir.

Lydie

African Trilogy

Each volume of this trilogy set throughout Africa corresponds to one of the three famous African teas: the first is the tea symbolizing death; the second, the tea of friendship; and the third and final volume corresponds to the third tea, symbolizing love.

SHI

During the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, two women’s lives become irrevocably intertwined when they both fall victim to a nefarious underground fraternity of ex-soldiers from England’s upper crust who have sworn their lives to defending the British Empire—as well as their own decadent lifestyles. In this first volume, young rebel Jennifer Winterfield and the mysterious Kitamakura from Japan forge an unlikely alliance along with Jennifer’s doctor uncle and a street urchin named Pickles. Together they lay the groundwork for a criminal organization that will go on to sow terror in the hearts of the colonialists and industrialists who tried to put them down.

The Muse

From his Barcelona studio in 1939, an aging Catalan painter shares with his model the mystery of his best friend Vidal Balaguer, “the forgotten genius” of Catalan Modernism, who vanished on the eve of 1900. His story his linked to the disappearance a few months earlier of his muse and lover, Mar, the subject of his most famous painting, “Young Lady in a Mantón.” But there are other disappearances, too, of people, a corpse, some oranges, and a stubbornly silent canary named Stradivarius. A police detective is convinced that Balaguer murdered his model but by the end of the story we may come to believe that, as the painter himself reflects, “the murder weapon is not always what you might think!”

Marsupilami: The Beast

Belgium, 1955. A mysterious animal is caught in the jungles of South America and transported to Europe on a cargo ship, where it ends up starving and half-dead on the outskirts of Brussels. François, a young boy with a fondness for taking in strays, finds it and brings it home to his mother and his menagerie—his best and only friends. As the son of a departed German soldier, François is the favorite target of every bully in school. Nobody can identify the strange creature with the voracious appetite and the stupendously long tail, and François figures his new pet is perfect for show-and-tell… But with a wild beast and a small classroom, things quickly get out of hand. Will this spell the end for François’s new animal friend? The real story of the legendary Marsupilami!

The Whale Library

A poetic fable for grown-ups full of wisdom and beauty, by two Belgian masters of graphic storytelling.

Little Miss Cheery

What do you do when you hate your wife and you’re sleeping with your stepdaughter? If you’re ostrich farmer Pep, you beat your wife’s head in with a shovel when your stepdaughter asks you to. You might do it some rainy night, and toss the body down a well for good measure. You might even think you’re getting some money out of it. But if you’re hapless and unlucky as Pep is, you might find yourself trapped in a hell of your own making, endlessly wondering: how many times do you have to kill someone before they’re really dead?

Header image: SHI © Zidrou & José Homs / Dargaud

We have put together all Europe Comics underground titles which in our opinion fall under the alternative or indie genre.

Eden

Beneficio

Not so long ago, humankind did not move as widely as it does today. Few left their native village, and people were left to wonder what lay beyond the next hill or valley. But life was full of storytellers, folklore, performers, nature. These days anyone can buy a ticket to the other side of the world, but what is the purpose? What are we seeking? This poetic work seeks evasive answers to the questions we have all asked ourselves about the mysteries of modern life.

They Called Him Charles

People often ask the question: who exactly is this Charles? The answer is simple: Charles is a dead man, who meets his doom in dozens of different ways. We can surely close the topic, right?

Keepers of Lost Time

Keepers of Lost Time is a Serbian science-fiction comics trilogy wrriten by Miroslav Marić and drawn by Vujadin Radovanović. It is rightfully considered to be a significant work in the history of Serbian fantasy and comics. The first episode was published in 1990, the second in 2000, but it wasn’t until 2012 that the trilogy finally saw its highly anticipated conclusion, published by Darkwood. This future-fantasy comic depicts two cultures – one of high technology, the other – tribal, in moments of their internal crises. They exist synchronously and interdependently, yet are in conflict due to their vastly different perceptions of the world and spiritual values.

Come Back to Me Again

This is a dramatic graphic novel because it is about life. This is romance, because there is love. This is crime, because it’s about mysterious death. It’s also a graphic novel about dreams, because there is a lot of sleep in it. Come Back to Me Again is an emotional journey into yourself. This diary of feelings jagged by addiction. Alcohol addiction. Drug addiction. Love addiction. And life addiction. This story is about the continuous falling asleep and waking up. About daydreaming and life without sleep.