this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2025
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European Graphic Novels++

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“BD” refers to Franco-Belgian comics, but let's open things up to include ALL Euro comics and GN's. Euro-style artistry from around the world is also welcome. ^^

-BD = "Bandes dessinées"
-BDT = Bedetheque
-GN = graphic novel
-LBK = Lambiek
-LC = "Ligne claire"

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Pirate Kaimann meets his long-lost, regretful father in "The Incal: Dying Star." (infosec.pub)
submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social to c/eurographicnovels@piefed.social
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Pretty wild panel I thought worth sharing! And from publisher Humanoids page:

Things are not going well for Commander Kaimann. Luz, the love of his life, is dead, his home of Tortuga destroyed, his crew ghostly apparitions, and his crocodilian mutation taking over more and more of his body -- Kaimann is fighting for his life on multiple fronts. Just when it seems like despair may overtake him, a chance encounter with a strange violin connects him to Aurora, a woman living in a future where she is staring down almost certain destruction...

With his passions renewed, Kaimann hatches a bold plan to find a cure for his mutation and a future with his newfound love. However, Kaimann’s past is catching up with him, and Aurora’s future. --[link]

More imagery here:
https://www.google.com/search?q=The+Incal+Dying+Star&udm=2

Also worth mentioning is that I thought writer Dan Watters did a downright remarkable job emulating the style of Alejandro Jodorowsky. It's uncanny, really.

Oh, btw-- Humanoids claims that this book is in the works to become a film, overseen by Taika Waititi ("Thor: Ragnarok").

As a nice little bonus, the book included a two-page 'reading order' list of the various Incal works, which have built up in to quite the impressive collection over the years. I believe this brings us up to 2025's chronology:

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[–] MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Holy damn what a character design.

Makes me desperately want someone like this to exist in a video game for me to converse with.

[–] SharkAttak@kbin.melroy.org 3 points 2 weeks ago

I'm sorry but I immediately thought of the meme with the guy with progressively bigger brain.

[–] JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Visually didn't they do something like this (in terms of face masks) with Spielberg's "A.I." film? Or maybe it was a similar film from around the same period.

Also, in terms of conversing, how do you find the modern LLM chatbots? For me, it's pretty crazy how on-point and realistic they seem.

[–] MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I've used gemini to rephrase things or create complex sed commands.

But as a conversation partner they are wholly unsatisfying for me. The whole point of conversation is to get to know someone, fictional or real.

With an LLM there isn't anyone there. Not even fictionally.

I'm still playing through Baldur's Gate 3, and I cannot tell you how much I do NOT want the characters to be replaced by an LLM that can't stick to the script, the way an actual script, does.

[–] JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social 1 points 2 weeks ago

Good points. I guess the reason my experience varied so much is because so far I've usually used the LLM's for info, advice, and a bit of storytelling help. I've not really tried to go down the 'Eliza' / 'Racter' route because yeah... it's not really an AI entity, rather a set of instructions that hallucinates replies based on knowledge bases... albeit one that does so at never-before seen levels.

But I suppose the better the script frameworks get, the better LLM's will be become at simulating a real person. *shrug*

[–] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I've only read the first four, is the rest of the series as good? I'm always hesitant when a different writer picks up a story, especially from someone as singular as Jodorowsky.

[–] JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Everyone seems to love MetaBarons, so that's like another four books.

Me, I thought "Megalex" was even better, and of the three last non-Jodo works, I thought this one was quite solid, if a little open-ended. I.e. we don't get exactly the ending we crave, and like a classic Euro film, the book ends with some things still in motion.

[–] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Everyone seems to love MetaBarons, so that's like another four books.

Yeah that seemed like the consensus. Still, I'm a tad wary, the Moebius-Jodorowsly collab was inspired. I'll probably still pick up MetaBarons, but I just can't imagine it having the same charm as the Moebius stuff.

[–] Nacktmull@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

When Moebius is missing, it often gets too one sided imo. Jodo´s restless brutality and Giraud´s calm tenderness were a match made in heaven! They are like Ying and Yang, which makes their collaborations so rich in contrast and interesting.

[–] Nacktmull@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I’m always hesitant when a different writer picks up a story, especially from someone as singular as Jodorowsky.

And you are absolutely right about that in this case, because the classic series are by far the best the Jodoverse has to offer. I recommend to check out (if you did not do that yet):

  • The Incal

  • Before The Incal

  • The Saga of the Metabarons

  • The Technopriests

The rest (After The Incal, Final Incal, Castaka, The Metabaron, Megalex and especially Simak) all look great but do not come even close to the quality of the storytelling of the original series imo.

[–] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I haven't tried Saga or Technopriests yet

[–] Nacktmull@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

In that case I recommend reading Saga first, then Technopriests.