Twin Brazilian artists Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá have made a huge mark on comics both with their individual work—Casanova and Umbrella Academy, respectively—and with their collaboration on 2010's award-winning Daytripper. Here, Dark Horse offers an exclusive look at their first joint project since Daytripper—Two Brothers, due out in October.
An adaptation of the novel Dois Irmãos (The Brothers) by eminent Brazillian author Milton Hatoum, Two Brothers tells a story of strained family relations and identity. Omar and Yaqub are identical twins with many differences between them. The powerful love of their mother, Zana, had only caused more trouble, and a violent exchange sent the “good son,” Yaqub, from his home in Brazil to live with relatives in Lebanon. As the book opens, he is returning home after five years, a virtual stranger to his parents and estranged from Omar.
The story takes places on the riverbanks of the Amazon in the port city of Manaus, but its scope celebrates Brazil’s vibrant diversity. This 10-page preview underscores the subtle arts of graphic storytelling—the words unsaid, the looks avoided, the porous nature of time. Bá’s distinctive lines render characters in minimal strokes; clever transitions, well-placed shadows, and atmospheric scene-setting live up to the twins' already well-deserved reputation for beautiful art.
Two Brothers comes out in October 2015 from Dark Horse Comics.
