Anomalies

Masqué #1

by Serge Lehman, Stéphane Créty (Illustrations)

Injured during a mission in the Caucasus, Sergeant Frank Braffort returns to Paris after six years abroad. He discovers a changed city, one ruled by Prefect Beauregard. Braffort discovers that a series of mysterious events, anomalies that no one can explain, are taking place throughout the city. Giving rise to events that will change Braffort's life forever! Meanwhile, a new species of creature begins to emerge, robotic beings that take on human form.

Genres: Comics, Bande Dessinée, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 18, 2012

About the author

pseudonyme of Pascal Fréjean

Reviews

[Matthew J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This very short Euro comic is certainly intriguing. Sadly, I don't have the rest of the series, so I don't know where it goes, and I'm not likely to track it down. It feels very Heavy Metal Magazine. Set in Paris. Weird stuff happening. Maybe it's a super hero story? Unclear.

[Chris Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in a futuristic world with themes of war and superheroes, Masked: Anomalies shows some promise. The superhero aspect is only hinted at. Cover A done by John McCrea shows a drawing a superhero who almost appears to be wearing a tux, and one panel early in the comic shows a sign of this superhero. But those hoping for a superhero comic will be disappointed by the lack of said superhero. Instead, what's there is very wordy and not very clear. Serge Lehman's story doesn't give us too much of a plot yet.

The artwork, on the other hand, is superb. That someone penciled this is amazing. Stephane Crety's drawings are sublime in their level of detail, so precise it seems like it has to have been done on a computer. The large scale drawings spawning a page or more are just phenomenal, especially the cities that go on forever. The coloring by Gaetan Georges helps bring things to life with his bright, though realistic, use of color.

I may take a look further into the series and see if anything more interesting develops, or, if anything, to check out the cool artwork. This took quite a while to get through for a single issue, which isn't so bad when you consider you get your money's worth.

[Stoffia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serge Lehmann revient ici aux thématiques qui lui sont chères : l'exploration de l'imaginaire européen, la figure du surhomme, et les superhéros. Cette fois, il le fait dans un Paris futuriste dans une histoire vaguement politique

En toute honnêteté, si vous voulez découvrir le talent de Lehmann comme scénariste BD sur ces thèmes en particulier, je recommanderais chaudement de lire plutôt ses Brigades Chimériques, ou son Métropolis.

[Greg Trosclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dig French comics. I have read about a dozen different French translated comics. They are written for adults. I am ready to give up on the American Superhero comic after 41 years. I loved Masked. Beginning to end a great read, the art is very clear. I had no complaints. Look forward to the next chapter.

[M.i. · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the dialogue to the way it is structured, one feels like they are reading a drama taking its time to hit its stride. I am not sure it works in this format but the gorgeous artwork and overall sense of intrigue helps.

[Anne Barwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting start to the series. Nice artwork and intriguing concept. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.

[Kwaku Osei-Afrifa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, bleak near-future comic, beautifully visualised and sparingly scripted. I have no idea where this is going and I like that.

[Clara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't find it very interesting, and there was a lot of dialogue that I felt took away from the story.

[Laewyr · Rating 1 out of 5]

J'ai mal compris le sujet, ce qui a eu un impact sur mon ressenti. Ma note n'est pas une sanction en elle même, mais juste un reflet de ma déception sur le sujet.