Beautiful, allegorical fairytale. An idyllic family of three living in the woods, become aware that there are three shadows watching them, seemingly getting closer. The father attempts to protect his family from the mysterious trio, without knowing what they want or having any idea of what they will do next.

The book is beatifully drawn, with lots of controlled scribbly lines (a little reminiscent of a slightly lighter Mattotti), but Pedrosa varies his style to good effect. Some of the pages are really stunning.

Pedrosa is an animator for Disney, and it really shows - the images are really dynamic. Sometimes the characters themselves can be a little too cartoony, the expressions a little too exaggerated. It's not unattractive, but I found it a little jarring against the rest of the art. I got used to it though. Also, I found his pacing was a little erratic - the flow didn't seem to be quite right. I may be wrong, but I think this is not uncommon in animators coming to comics. I'm not sure what causes this feeling - it'd be a good area for more thought and analysis.

In the end, the story, while pleasant and enjoyable, feels a little slight, and maybe takes a little too long in the telling (certainly, it seemed to keep going longer than necessary). I would recommend this book on the strength of its art, and I hope that Pedrosa's comics chops improve. I'll keep an eye out for his other work. ( )

E correre...

Correre senza mai fermarsi.

(202-3)

In un paesaggio primaverile,
non c'è meglio o peggio.

(265) ( )

I picked this up on a whim, while wandering the library last week. There's nothing I love more than to peek at what they've added to the graphic novel section under "library favorites". Someone out there wanted me to read this, and I happily obliged! Especially once I opened it to take a cursory glance at the first page. Three Shadows both looked, and sounded, like something I needed to take home with me. So, I did.

This is the story of Joachim, an adorable bundle of excitement and youth. The reader is introduced to his little family unit and the safe haven they call home. Full of fish to catch, berries to pick, and any number of adventures a young boy might want to have. I took instantly to Joachim and his family. They were so happy. So very peaceful. Then, as the synopsis promised, the shadows appeared. Suddenly this little family was afraid, and on the brink of breaking. I can assure you, this isn't always the happiest of stories. It is, however, a beautiful one.

What sold me on this book, more than anything else, was the illustrations. Three Shadows is done in a style that is very sketch-book in nature. Stark white and black, but with so much movement that it's not hard at all to follow along. I actually appreciated the lack of color in these panels. It allowed me the opportunity to bring my own color to the story. To paint in the joy, the innocence, and even the heartbreak. It was a daring move on the part of the illustrator, since so many graphic novels are richly colored, but it is well suited to this particular story.

I can't say much more without spoiling anything. This is a story of love, loss, and the great lengths that people will go to in order to protect the ones that mean the most. I don't know what I was expecting when I first picked this up, but I can assure you that it lived up to whatever that was. This wasn't my favorite graphic novel of the year, but it's definitely up there. Recommended to all. ( )

> Tout commence dans une ambiance à la Perrault : un petit garçon à la bouille de Petit Poucet coule des jours heureux dans la fermette familiale. Une vie trop belle pour durer toujours. Un soir, sur la colline voisine, trois silhouettes lugubres apparaissent et reviennent, au crépuscule, menacer en silence ce bonheur parfait. Le dessin se fait distordu, le noir l'emporte sur le blanc : en quelques traits, Cyril Pedrosa fait monter l'angoisse. Le père, comprenant que ces ombres en veulent à son fils, l'emporte au loin dans un voyage périlleux. Les péripéties ne manquent pas, mais, à chaque page, on vérifie surtout que les ombres ne sont pas là, au coin d'une case. Et, forcément... Cyril Pedrosa, auteur de plusieurs autres albums (Les Cœurs solitaires, Shaolin Moussaka...), vient d'être primé au récent festival BD de Saint-Malo, Quai des bulles. Ed. Delcourt, "Shampooing", 268 p.
—LePoint.fr ( )

One of the most beautifully drawn and written graphic novels I've ever read. Simply fantastic! Pedrosa's drawing style is fluid, expressive, and surreal. The story is fantastical and very touching, executed with great care. This graphic novel is superb. ( )