Author David B. (The Epileptic
) sets down 19 of his dreams, and it makes for a gorgeous, mysterious volume. His nocturnal topics run from the French resistance, Nazis, whores and wives to figures from the mythical history of Samarkand. Most of the dreams involve chases, danger and life-threatening conspiracies, all given life by B.'s startlingly clear presentation, etched in shades of moonlight blue and black. The overall sense of foreboding is as haunting as a nightmare. The text, at least in translation, is more prosaic and adds little; it's the art that's the real treasure. B. handles panel to panel progressions like no one else: theatrical, yet loose and immediate in their storytelling, the panels are also stunningly beautiful. Think of an easy Modernism married to a novelist's sharp eye and a printmaker's graphic touch, all things “painterly.” B's eerie dreamscapes succeed mostly as an art piece, but for enthusiasts of European cartooning at its most confidently experimental, this will be a must have. (Feb.)
