Delcourt editions offer an integral version of “New York Trilogy” by Will Eisner, graphic novel and compendium of stories written between 1985 and 1999 by the American author.
It is with “The Spirit”, the story of a masked detective in a soft hat and suit and tie, that Will Eisner explores the graphic and narrative possibilities of the 9th art. The American artist recounts the adventures of this fine sleuth for 12 years, then leaves comics to devote himself to illustration.
“The Spirit” comes out a few years later and becomes cult. Will Eisner was rewarded in the mid-1970s for his work by the Angoulême International Comics Festival, from which he won the Grand Prix. Galvanized by the honor bestowed on him in France, he relaunched his career and produced several masterpieces. In 1978, he released “A Pact with God” which marked the birth of the graphic novel, moving away from the style of comics. In 1988, the Eisner Awards were created to honor this precursor. This award is today the most prestigious award for American comics.
New York, New York
During the second part of his prolific career, Will Eisner published a graphic novel, in the form of a trilogy, entirely devoted to his city, the one that never sleeps: New York.
The first volume is dedicated to the city itself. The author stages a lamppost, a fire hydrant, a garbage can, a porch or a wall in small sketches that are funny, tragic or poetic. In the second, he talks about the building, a fictional building, the Hammond Building. Here too, history is told through anecdotes about the inhabitants of the city. As for the last book, it is dedicated to the people, to the citizens of the Big Apple.
“New York Trilogy” is an all black, white and gray marvel. Will Eisner not only has a pure, expressive line, but he has a love for his city that is felt in each of his pen strokes.
The Big Apple in 416 pages
When Will Eisner shows a New Yorker trying to arrive on time in five pages, he makes us experience the fear of having to keep a schedule in a city made up of crowds, delays, traffic jams and incivilities. At the same time, he can describe a metro grid and the hundreds of objects that are lost there every day by passers-by. Then, the kids who recover them with a string and chewing gum. Later, he describes the fear inspired by a street at night, the loneliness, the wickedness, but also the solidarity of the inhabitants.
Didier Charlet/ld
The complete graphic novel “New York Trilogy” is available in French at Delcourt Editions.
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