Little Bird by Darcy Van Poelgeest and Ian Bertram

 "Choose your life carefully, Little Bird."

Ahhh that exciting, sometimes infuriating alchemy in comics regarding what illustrations bring to the writing. A good story is a good story, but excellent art will lift all levels of writing – it is, after all, a visual medium. In Little Bird (Image Comics), the writing by Darcy Van Poelgeest is very good. It’s a story that feels both large in scale, but also intensely personal for the titular protagonist, mixing her role in building a resistance against a violent oppressive regime with her discovery about her bloody heritage. With an opening which drops you at a crucial point, a la Star Wars, and never really lets up, the storytelling is brilliantly concise but never rushed – there’s a confidence here that belies the fact that this is Van Poelgeest’s first work in comics.

With all the nightmarish violence, themes of religion and the fact that it's science fiction, it’s a story that could have come from the mind of Alejandro Jodorowsky. But just as Jodorowsky was blessed to work with the extraordinary illustrator Moebius, artist Ian Bertram has really elevated Little Bird into something special. Reminiscent of Frank Quitely but with added expressionism, the art is detailed with delicate line-work but always manages to convey energy and movement and weight. The sequential art storytelling is also exemplary; there is one plot-point that had me re-reading the pages to marvel at how beautifully it was executed. All elements to the story are enhanced, whether it’s the violence (bloody and extreme), the horror (lots of entrails, religious imagery and those spooky eyes), suspense, or the moments of dream-like surrealism. At the same time, Bertram has designed a world that looks other-worldly yet Earthly, ancient but futuristic.

The one niggle is a visually slightly messy cover to this edition, but otherwise this is an stunning example of the medium, deservedly winning an Eisner award for best limited series.

Swoon Now! Habibi & The Incal

There's more! Two highly anticipated books (albeit one as a re-print) are also out this week and in store now. Craig Thompson's last book, the recently re-released Blankets, has quietly earned itself a place in the hall of fame of classic graphic novels. Fans have had to wait over six years for a new piece of work and Habibi (Faber & Faber) will certainly give people something to chew over. At almost 700 pages it sets its themes high and wide as a parable exploring love, sex, obsession and a spiritual relationship with nature and religion. Thompson's signature flowing artwork becomes a beautiful companion to the Arabic calligraphy that weaves its way throughout the book and although I'm rather uncomfortable about aspects of the story, the art is never less than interesting. It's also a stunningly presented book - pictures don't do any justice to the dark, rich colouring and gold embossed type.

Also with us is the collected re-print of one of the most influential sci-fi series in recent comics history: The Incal (Self Made Hero). Written by the free-thinking and wildly imaginative (or bonkers, from another viewpoint) Alejandro Jodorowsky it was a perfect companion for the infamous Moebius who excelled at creating alien worlds that have seeped it to many movies including Star Wars. Challenging and inspiring.