Glacial Period

The Louvre Museum has collaborated with NBM in producing this, the first in a series of four graphic novels that feature the museum's collection. This story takes place in some distant future, where an ice-covered Europe is remembered only vaguely, as a legend. An exploration team, including glasses-wearing, genetically engineered, talking dogs, explores the frozen wasteland that once was Paris, and rediscovers the Louvre. The fantasy elements begin once the explorers enter the building. The artwork comes to life for Hulk, one of the dogs. The story takes on a parable quality, too, with ambiguous commentary on how art is perceived, chosen, and possibly made. The fantasy elements build until the end, a purely fantastical construct that could in fact be a beginning to a whole new story - one I think I'd enjoy. Something like a hundred of the Louvre's artworks appear here, at least in sketchy form, with a helpful index at the end that identifies them. This crossover between the worlds of the finest art and the often under-rated graphic novel intrigues me. That might be partly because I just saw the Inkheart movie, with its crossover from the world of the written word onto the big screen. Future books in this series will each present a different vision of the Louvre by a different comic artist. I can't wait to see those views, too. -- wiredweird

The first volume of 'Glacial Period' represents a departure from the usual graphic novel format, coming from the Louvre, Paris' famous museum, and extending its art into the pop realm. Two French publishing efforts have joined with a literary comics imprint to produce Glacial Period, in which the Louvre will provide a series of four separate graphic novels by four artists: GLACIAL PERIOD is the first, comes from a rising graphic artists star, and is presented in gorgeous, full color throughout. A top pick which stands apart from the usual graphic novel adventure. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch