12 La Douce/12 The Sweet
| Author: Francois Schuiten |
Series: Schuiten
Hard cover
Black and white
Pages: 96
Dimensions: 24.1×32.1×1.6 cm
ISBN: 2203041021
EAN: 9782203041028
Price: € 18.00
Release Date: 18/04/2012
At fifty years of age, engineer and mechanic Leon van Bel is close to retirement but clings passionately to his job as a railway worker. Symbolic of everything he is has to be the over 20 metres long sumptuous steam locomotive –the 12004. The engine, which he affectionately calls “la Douce” has already accumulated enough mileage to have gone around the world four times.
However, in this world that could so easily be our own, traditional rail transport will soon be thrown aside by the cable car. On that day van Bel and the 12004 will be discarded. In desperation and the save the “la Douce” from the cutters yard, van Bel tries to steal it. In a last ditch attempt to rescue the engine the old engineer goes on a cable car journey to find the machine –along with a young mute woman..
This was the last of the batch of books I opened, thinking it was just some adventure involving a train! I was very wrong. The story itself is easy enough to follow because Schuiten knows exactly what he is doing. Touching and at times depressing there is a little hope at the end.
But what struck me was the art. To just call it “black and white” seems wrong somehow. Being hard core old school I’ll deny I wrote this later but it’s …beautiful. Not just for the figure work which is unflawed, but the rendering of the engines, engine parts, bridges, cable cars, automobiles –the architecture…every panel seems to hold more detail at each viewing (and I have gone through this book a good few times). I looked through this book a fifth time then found I could not finish my own work, which made me wish I had a quarter Schuiten’s talent!
Ink envy is a bad thing. Stipling, cross-hatching, shading –this is a master class to anyone hoping to work in black and white. Any hint of colour would have destroyed this book.
And there is an interesting back-up text/photo feature on the 12.004 –yes –it did exist. I’m guessing that if you are a comic fan and railway enthusiast this is going to be your birthday/Christmas present in one.
I seriously cannot think of words to describe this other than “beautiful art,”
please note:the square pattern in the art is, I believe, to prevent illegal use of the scans -they DO NOT appear in the book.
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