Darkly She Goes

October 6, 2014
Hubert and Kerascöet, authors of Miss Don’t Touch Me, again explore sexual compulsion and entrapment, but this time, the setting is a fantasy. This fairy tale for adults combines elements of “Cinderella,” “The Frog Prince,” “Rapunzel,” and any number of Greek myths. Coddie, the protagonist, is ugly and smelly. She helps a fairy, who then makes her seen as the “very idea of beauty in woman incarnate.” Of course, this is a curse, as every man Beauty (as she is now known) encounters tries to rape her or kill others to get to her. No one comes out well here. The first love’s loyalty dooms him; the local prince is driven berserk by obsession; the king is made mad by the need to possess her; and Beauty herself is stupid and selfish. Fans of the recent Beautiful Darkness (by the same duo, whose real names are Sébastien Cosset and Marie Pommepuy) will find the style and tone similar, although this much longer piece allows for more depravity and death as Coddie sends kingdoms to war. Newly lovely Coddie and the other characters are wildly expressed, the better to show the futility and despair of their actions. It’s a dark fable with an ominous moral for those who think appearance is everything.

November 1, 2014

When a fairy returning a favor gives an ugly maidservant the appearance of beauty, the girl expects a happy future. But this fairy is evil, the girl a dimwit, and her apparent beauty a curse. Now a magical magnet for males, the enchanted Coddie unwittingly spreads discord among the populace and civil war among kingdoms when crazed rulers battle to possess her. But as the chaotic plot unfolds and heads roll, a plain, clever princess and one of Coddie's suitors form an alliance. Through unexpected twists, Hubert (Miss Don't Touch Me) does bring the story to a satisfying if uncharacteristic ending, while the art of husband-wife team Kerascoet (Dungeon) works its own magic. Their gorgeous panels incorporate both Asian and European artistic traditions and textures in striking colors. A cameo of the reclining beauty evokes French impressionist nudes; battle scenes recall medieval parchments. Yet even the most complex drawings show a charming folk art simplicity. VERDICT This satiric, flamboyant fairy tale reverses tropes to entertain as well as caution against illusory "gifts." Recommended for older teens and adults looking for out-of-the-way fantasy with a message.--M.C.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2014
Artistic team Hubert and Kerasco't (Miss Don't Touch Me, 2009) return with what appears to be a simple fairy tale about beauty being in the eye of the beholder, but it is actually a dark, twisted story of envy, obsession, manipulation, and power. Coddie, an ugly girl teased and bullied by her fellow villagers, has her wish to be beautiful granted by an evil fairy. Her now Helen-like beauty and uninhibited vanity cause war, death, lust, and several other deadly sins before Coddie recognizes the harm her desire to be beautiful has done. This gorgeous, full-color edition showcases the artistic talents of Kerasco't. The combination of simple yet expressive figures against lush, painterly backgrounds is an exquisite example of European comic making. Collected into one volume and translated from the French by Johnson, Hubert's work takes the fairy-tale trope and removes from it all the cheesecake Disneyness, giving the cautionary tale back its edge and teeth. This engrossing, subtly feminist story will have adult readers wanting to examine the underbelly of other traditional fairy stories.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 10, 2023
Hubert (Beauty) rewrites the familiar trope of a knight rescuing a princess in this alluring and mournful fable. Rogue warrior Arzhur, spurred on by the prophecies of three sinister witches with shadowy agendas, slays hideous monsters and saves the winsome and unearthly Islen from the Black Castle. But Islen’s existence turns out to be a threat to both their kingdoms. The malignant witches hope to restore the long-dead Queen Meliren—schemer, serpent woman, and Islen’s mother—to power. As Arzhur’s passion for Islen grows, the plot veers away from the expected happy ending and into an apocalyptic battle with devastating results all around. Far from saving the day, the knight is drawn deep into a morass of corrupt magic and broken love. Sublime fine line artwork by Mallié (Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief) handles figures and expressions with nuance that deepens character development. Coloring by Bruno Tatti complements with a range of earth tones that grounds the tale, lending a realism to the fantastic. Ardor burns bright but lights up past wounds in this elegant outing.

May 31, 2023
Disgraced Arzhur is hired by a trio of hags to rescue the princess Islen from a dangerous situation and return her to her father's kingdom. Arzhur is successful, but Islen is anything but grateful. They run from the hags, but both Arzhur and Islen are hiding details about themselves that could change the course of their journey, though those secrets don't prevent them from falling in love with each other. Readers will find several common fantasy themes here: the damsel who seems in distress but isn't; the fallen knight; the journey home. Visual perspectives change from panel to panel, which seems to help drive the journey onward. Emotions are easily readable on the characters' faces, though some of the panels depicting action can be difficult to follow. Readers who enjoy Arthurian fantasies or discernible character development will enjoy this tale. Note that while Arzhur and Islen's relationship starts out innocently enough, their romance becomes steamy as it progresses.

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April 21, 2023

In many tales, a noble knight rides forth to slay the monster and rescue the helpless damsel in distress. That's not this tale. Arzhur, a disgraced knight, is hired by three mysterious women to retrieve a princess from a dark, abandoned castle, only to find that not all monsters are easily identified, and this damsel Islen has the potential to cause more destruction than any mythical beast. The story wonders what if the stereotypical princess attribute of talking with animals has a much darker aspect and explores how far Arzhur is willing to go to regain his honor. Full nudity and some dark death scenes make this best for mature audiences, as suffering plays large in this Grimm-style fairy tale. The graphic novel was created after Hubert's passing in 2020, with Malli� illustrating Hubert's script. VERDICT In this fantasy tale, Malli� (Ars�ne Lupine, Gentleman Thief) and Hubert (Beauty) create an ethereal, shadow-strewn world where cruel pasts corrupt the present.--Mary E. Butler

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.