Kingdom/Order

Psaltis (The Order of Things) expands on his naturalistic oeuvre in this dreamlike dark fantasy. Told through impressionistic, wordless dialogue (only a single written word appears in the entire story), Psaltis follows the bizarre adventure of a nameless man, mysteriously drawn away from the trappings of modern urban life and deep into his own animalistic nature. Yet, as he delves deeper, he finds that reconnecting with his buried instincts is as difficult as it is dangerous. Psaltis’s artistic style recall’s Charles Burns’s Black Hole: entirely black and white, near-oppressively the former, and macabre in its magic. The breezy, expressive facility with which he renders deer, wolves, and pigeons is impressive, but the true skill lies not in Psaltis’s knowledge of anatomical drawing, but in his ability to convey each animal’s “language” through symbols and variations. It’s a rare talent who is able to make a reader “hear” sounds on a page without resorting to onomatopoeia. This innovative graphic novel—a somber, sober reflection on humanity’s contentious relationship with nature—won’t soon lose relevance. (Jul.)