Comics from around the world – review of the comic “Pets”

Mandioca publishing house surprises us with its publishing proposals. This is for a reason! You can find real gems among debutants. Pets , by Martin Gimenez, is a proposition so far unknown on the Polish market, and how valuable it is, you will find out soon!

Something new

Pets is the seventh position in the Publisher’s catalog. The book is inspired by urban animals . As the author, Martin Gimenez, points out, the topic is primarily marginalization in all aspects. Social isolation that influences what happens to the individual. Pets was set in the scenery of Buenos Aires. Some people appearing in the comic are inspired by real characters, e.g. the journalist with whom the president talks is a legend of Argentinean television, the equivalent of the Polish Irena Dziedzic. Gimenez offers readers references to well-known tales (including the saga of the swamp monster, Alan Moore – the tale of ants), as well as the less popular ones: Ciudad , Nekrodamus orEternaut . It is worth mentioning that the Argentine is known both on his continent and, for example, in the United States. In 2012, he received an award in the Cow Talent Hunt competition.

GimeNez universe

Hunting. They’re on us. Power versus man. Not a human – a mutant, monster, animal, individual. Everything starts suddenly in the post-apocalyptic world of Gimenez. The comic book is a photorealistic story that forms the basis for such albums as Insolado or Tres. The plot is complex, which means that we can read it on many levels. On the cover, the publisher put a short introduction to the situation in which the comic book hero found himself. Luc is kidnapped by beings from outside the Earth. They conduct many experiments on it. This continues until he manages to escape. Unfortunately, he is immediately called up for military service. After being civilian, he wishes to return home. The world he knew, however, underwent a transformation. It is not only the reality of military rule and terrorists, but also a city where a new, hitherto unknown force of a new race emerges.

Little complications

The comic book author decided to fill his story with many threads. At the same time, he only had eighty pages at his disposal. In a comic book, dynamics is intertwined with static, which influences the reader’s feelings while reading. The world ruled by the military is unfriendly and brutal. There is always something going on. The story does not remain neutral, it resembles a horror story with elements of fantasy. There are aliens, monsters, angels, maybe demons? And political fiction too. The greatest difficulty arising from reading the comic book is the initial misunderstanding of what the author wanted to convey. Gimenez does not give up on mixing styles and concepts, nor does he care about a causal relationship. The reader wanders around the comic, as does the main character, Luc. When we look at the balloons, of which there are many on individual cards, we also do not find inner peace. In this situation, I always suggest that you read the comic again, however – be careful! – in the case of Pets, it probably won’t work. Too many threads, anonymous heroes, an unclear cause-and-effect relationship – these elements may make the reader feel uncomfortable when following the author’s hermetic world.

Below the dash

The world that Gimenez proposes to us is very realistic. The method of framing, chosen by the author, allows the reader to see even the smallest details. However, it should not be forgotten that black and white comics cannot get rid of their severity. The book draws us in through each subsequent frame. We cannot free ourselves from it, even if we wanted to. If the reader decides only to analyze the artistic layer, he will surely be satisfied. The small works of the Argentinian are great works of art, which is especially important in two-color albums. Or maybe that’s how it works? Why color a world full of brutality, cold and dirt? Remember that if an artist were to choose the dominant color in this story, it would undoubtedly be blood red.

At the end

Mandioca publisher is not easy. Searching for comic (and undoubtedly underground ) gems from South America can be a huge success, but also a disappointment. Pets is an original work, the multifaceted nature of which will surely cause problems for many readers. The comic book is worth reading (watching?). However, I hope that my adventure with this author will not end like this. Is there a chance that the intriguing ending is the beginning of something special?

Special thanks are due to Bartłomiej Rabij, who revealed some details from the world of Pets on the tab attached to Gimenez’s book . This influenced the final shape of this review.