Tuesday, 20 November 2012

Casterman BD: Moebius’s Le Monde D’Edena vols. 1 & 2



Le Monde D’Edena 1- World of Edena vol.1 – On The Star
New edition 2012
Author: Jean Giraud Full Colour
62pp
Hardback
Dimensions: cm 24.3x32x1.1
ISBN: 2203063173
EAN: 9782203063174
Price: € 15.00
Date of publication: 14/11/2012



This was, originally, an album created for Citroen and published in English as “The Aedena Cycle.”

Moebius introduced two genderless protagonists, Stel and Atan, who have crashed  on a plain, featureless planet and must traverse it in…an old Citroën! The duo eventually stumble upon a camp of interstellar refugees who are surrounding a mysterious pyramid, and are transported to an unknown world, described as a ‘Garden of Eden somewhere in another galaxy.’

Moebius then took the idea and developed it so that it became part of the Moebius Universe which encompassed, amongst other works, The Airtight Garage, probably his most famous work (I know people will disagree!).

Having seen Moebius, and spoken to him briefly at one of the old London UK Comic Art Conventions, I’d heard about his Ichi, magic mushrooms and alternative lifestyle and so I should not be surprised that this seeps into his work.

These are science-fiction stories that Moebius uses  to pose questions about dreams, nutrition and health, biology and sexuality not to mention the human desire to live in a structured society, oh, and archetypal good and evil. All of these more philosophical elements are embedded in what have been called “deceivingly light stories,” that  allow the reader to page their way through the different layers –there is no hard boot lack of subtlety here.








And now….

Le Monde d’Edena 2- Les Jardins d’Edena/The Garden of Eden
New edition
Author: Jean Giraud
Full Colour
62pp
Hardback
Dimensions : 24.3x32x1.2 cm
ISBN : 2203063181
EAN : 9782203063181
I am guessing that there will be those who look at Moebius’s work here and call it “simplistic” in style. That just means they have not been looking. There is an abundance of lovely detail and the one thing that always stands out is the use of colour.  It can shift from a light purple to a blue or green and it is almost like a “trip” in itself.  Brings back memories of colour Windsor & Newton inks (very hard to find these days).

The two books have text feature back-ups and Casterman is issuing new editions of all six volumes in the series –these two out ….today!

Love these.





No comments:

Post a Comment