Freedom Comics (pt. 2 of 3)

"Where Have All the Superheroes Gone?"

I had two questions on my mind when I walked off the plane at Charles de Gaulle. The first was "Am I going to be able to find a copy of the latest volume of Blacksad?" The second was "Am I going to have to wait an extra week to read Firestorm #20?" Thankfully, the answers were yes to the first and no to the latter -- all to my surprise as I got a look two very different types of comics stores in Paris.

Walking down a street in the Montemarte district, I was actually drawn into the first shop via a display of Gorillaz action figures in the window, thinking that it was some sort of designer toy shop. I was slightly correct; this first healthily sized comics shop catered to three main floor areas of interest: toys (of which easily 50% consisted of Star Wars products); comics (including recent serialized hardcover Rolling Stone-sized French releases, as well as all of the week's Big 3 titles); and oodles of manga in French, English, and Japanese. What I found even more interesting in the shop was the comics-accompanying shelf of critical volumes intermixed with books on cinematography and "how to" books on both filmmaking a comic art. Also, there in a large cardboard display shelf by front door was the beautifully covered third volume (not the sketch book available in the U.S. and labeled as the third volume) of Blacksad.

The second shop I visited was distictly devoid of superhero releases. It was distinctly brighter and whiter all around than the locale of my first visit and had something Tintin-related noticeable in every direction. This shop specialized more in the wide array of graphic novels I mentioned in part 1 from Gibert Joseph. All of the year's greats list -- from Black Hole and Epileptic to the latest Asterix volume -- made up the core of the store. Beyond them was a gigantic wall of Taschen-sized (and priced) volumes of comic art. The most striking of these was the first copy of the 16 by 21 inch Little Nemo in Slumberland - So Many Splendid Sundays that I've been able to see in person. Down the stairs below the main floor was their library of back issues -- all French titles.

Not that I ever wish to see the death of the superhero genre, but it did my heart well to see comics shops whose profit is anchored firmly in and defined by a narrowly representative segment of what could be sold at U.S. comic book shops if the proper market conditions existed.

And finally, do yourself a favor and pick up an installment of Blacksad if you haven't already. It's one of the badassest and most gorgeous titles I've ever laid eyes on. This third volume follows our favorite anthropomorphic investigator John Blacksad loving (and being left of course) as he uncovers the dark Nazi-tangled past of a man he's trying to protect.