The boundaries of the ninth art have always been thin, even if it is true that the medium is associated with the famous slogan from 7 to 77 years old. This new album from the Mirage collection at Delcourt has understood this principle well. With l’orée du monde, the authors have produced an album that can speak to both children and adults with strong and necessary subjects in the subtext.
The story in two words:
James is a young teenager lost and hurt by his parents’ constant arguments. He dreams of running away from this, he heard at school regarding a group of orphans who would live in the forest. For the young boy, it’s decided, he tries his luck, he will find these orphans and build a life far from the adults.
The scenario :
This story of headlong rush begins with a very good idea: this beginning of the album takes place in total silence, no bubble comes to disturb the reader while the young James looks for the orphans. This reinforces the feeling of insecurity and confusion that inhabits the character and, by extension, the reader.
Once the dialogue is established, we discover fascinating characters who have a magnetic aura.
The subtext on the criticism of our consumer society and the ecological emergency are brought with virtuosity. Without being moralistic, the screenwriter sends a strong and necessary message through these children.
All the orphans burst the boards with their strong characters. However, they are only a springboard to see the birth of James’s, which is revealed from box to box. The screenwriter locks us in this utopian bubble, we start dreaming with them in this little life of a lost child
This volume is a marvel of rhythm, with a narrative articulated around the management of this tempo and gives this album a special aura with its many twists.
The drawing :
From the cover to the last box, it is the poetry of Kim Consigny’s line that touches and accompanies us. She has an undeniable talent for transcribing the tranquility and atmosphere of nature. She managed to make this forest that is protective, mysterious and sometimes dangerous all at once tangible.
She was also able to perfectly capture the essence of her characters, whether it was Ben’s benevolence or Damon’s governing charisma.
The layout provided supports this tome that is both talkative and contemplative, and the author manages each time to render well-balanced boards, with speech bubbles and detailed boxes that complement each other perfectly.
The good idea of the volume is sometimes to adjust its characters with their child’s vision as during explorations or hunts and to dress them up in explorers’ or hunters’ costumes Finally, certain boxes are real suspended moments, such as the discovery of the eagle that makes you want to walk around and protect this beautiful nature.
A l’orée du monde is a rare album that will speak to everyone. He has this particularity of making us go through all the emotions and he weaves a very close bond with the characters, especially with this open ending which leaves us with a little taste of coming back to it.
Par vivien arzul
