Mayor

by Mœbius, Enrique Sánchez Abulí (Translator)

MOEBIUS EN PLENO APOGEO, TOTALMENTE DESATADO
Este diario ficticio y alucinado se realizó entre 1997 y 2009, alternando periodos de entusiasmo creativo con otros momentos de desinterés, e incluso de olvido. Una vez más, el principio que prevalece es la improvisación a pecho descubierto, con esa mezcla de desenvoltura y de intensa concentración que es desde hace mucho tiempo la marca personal de Moebius.
El Mayor es el personaje central de esta pseudohistoria, en un contexto que recuerda mucho a la serie Inside Moebius. Quien quiera adentrarse en el extraño y sorprendete mundo de Moebius, ahora tiene una muy buena oportunidad.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Adventure, Fiction, Fantasy

312 pages, Hardcover

First published May 3, 2011

About the author

Jean Henri Gaston Giraud (pen-name: Mœbius) was a French artist, cartoonist, and writer, who worked in the Franco-Belgian bandes dessinées tradition.
Also published as Jean Giraud.

Reviews

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drawn in an off the cuff manner with an improvised story. Very similar to his Airtight Garage stuff. It feels like sketch pages rather than a graphic novel at times. Drawn over nearly 10 years in the 00s. Still it's Moebius, there's some really fantastic panels here and there. Ends with a series of full color illustrations to round out the package. Certainly not essential Moebius reading.

[Donovan · Rating 3 out of 5]

?????

[Huicha · Rating 5 out of 5]

bueno!

[Woody Hayday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Moebius. If you’re a fan, this is necessary for your collection. I got absolutely lost in the more psychadelic stuff in the latter half, stunning.

Woody Hayday

[Antoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Un dels còmics que menys he entès de Moebius, similar a les fumades que acostuma a fer amb el seu col·lega, el psicomag Jodorowsky. Malgrat tot, l'he gaudit molt. El format en blanc i negre m'ha semblat insuls al principi, però a mesura que avançava m'ha permès copsar la complexitat de l'art de Moebius. Sota l'aparença d'una simplicitat que a vegades enganya, els seus traços estan carregats de significat i són capaços de tergiversar les vinyetes, la realitat i l'espai-temps per submergir-nos en un viatge catàrtic que fa xalar de valent.

Entre les seves pàgines hi he trobat algunes de les millors il·lustracions de l'autor, d'una bellesa onírica i d'una rotunditat argumental difícils de trobar. Sense cap dubte una gran font d'inspiració, ja no pel contingut sinó per la forma. Penso que és impossible arribar a entendre què li passa pel cap al Major, perquè en bona part això només ho sap l'autor, que potser comparteix part de l'essència amb la seva creació. En definitiva, crec que cal deixar-se portar i gaudir d'una història que ens fa reflexionar sobre els límits de la realitat, sobre si la vida té sentit o no, sobre si Déu existeix i sobre si els deserts i els laberints són en realitat dins de la nostra ment.

El llibre com a tal és un producte de qualitat. L'única pega a l'edició és l'elecció del material de la coberta, una mena de tapa dura rugosa que a primera vista ja es veu que patirà massa desgast. El format llibre m'agrada perquè el puc encabir als prestatges normals, i el paper és correcte, motiu pel qual estic plenament satisfet.

Tocarà seguir endinsant-se en el món de Moebius encara que sigui per enfonsar-me una mica més en la meva ignominiosa ignorància, ja que la seva complexitat i bellesa són gairebé impossibles d'abastar.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jean Giraud (aka Mœbius) was one of the true geniuses of the comics medium, and his enigmatic protagonist Major Grubert has long served as something of a cipher, a reluctant guide to help the reader navigate the beautiful psychedelic creations that flowed from the creator's pen. Which is not to say that the Major has a clear notion of what was going on at all times, but Mœbius was never much interested in explanations and neat resolutions.

So it's wonderful to see Le Major finally published in an English translation. As with the related Inside Mœbius series, the author is a character in this very non-linear story. Both Mœbius and Major Grubert are creators of worlds, but neither of them would claim to have control over their creations. The result is a journey of exploration on multiple levels, and while a mysterious key plays a significant part in The Major, that key exists only to free the Major from his obsessions, without necessarily providing him with answers.

There's a lot to absorb in these pages, and translator Diana Schultz's footnotes are essential for understating the author's delightful wordplay and his many allusions to contemporary art and culture. The free-wheeling nature of The Major resists logical interpretation, but for the Mœbius fan, it's an essential meta-narrative that begins to close some of the many abstract patterns that the author weaved around his amazing body of work.

[Jack Tripper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering that most of Moebius’s best work has languished out of print for decades (at least in English) and goes for ridiculous prices on secondary markets, it’s frustrating when Dark Horse chooses bottom-tier stuff like this to publish. Maybe the rights to his works are in some sort of copyright hell, I’m not sure, but either way the artwork here is pretty mediocre, imo, mostly looking like rough sketches, and the storyline is nonsensical. I suppose the latter is par for the course when it comes to Moebius, but when combined with the scribbled doodles within, makes this feel a bit like a ripoff.

Oh and FYI 95% of this book is not in color. Normally I’m fine with B&W artwork, but here it only adds to the “random doodlings” vibe. Still, it IS Moebius so I can’t give it one star.

[Mikael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good. It wasn't exactly what I had expected, and it may or may not tie into The Airtight Garage, and I actually prefer his colored work rather than the all-black-and-white stories, however it's still a nice read.

[Drew German · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because I thought it was a stand alone story. I seem to have been mistaken on that. I still enjoyed the work. It was beautiful drawn and quite thought provoking. I’m interested in reading more.

[Jack Waugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's very similar to his Inside Moebius, more free hand tho and obviously lacking the appearance by other Moebius created/co-created characters

It's even set in Desert B

Hopefully in the future Dark Horse might release more

[Roger]

Ahora el mayor tiene la llave de los sueños

[Chad · Rating 1 out of 5]

The art is fine but this story is just gibberish. I couldn't follow it at all. Maybe it's a translation thing. Maybe it's just too existential for me to pay enough attention.

[Joshua Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moebius' art is lacking without color imo

[Wiley June · Rating 3 out of 5]

one of the strangest and most mystifying pieces of fiction i’ve experienced 🤩🤩🤩

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surreal.

And such linework!

[bogo_lode · Rating 2 out of 5]

bits and pieces are cool but the whole doesn't do much for me

[Thresk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful psychedelic tour of the subconscious and creative process, accompanied by some of the best (& most indispensable) translator notes I've ever read.

RIP, Gir.

[Zuuru · Rating 2 out of 5]

eh

[Magnanimous Kingdom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jean Giraud, or Moebius as he goes by here (an important distinction) is a one-of-one talent. A must-read for any fans of surrealism or psycho-philosophical art. Beautiful and breathtaking.

[Uno Wester · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think i had a bit too high expectations.

[Jace Andesron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the art style but the story felt vague and hollow.

[Luke Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird and confusing but good drawings !!

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creator and creation in an endless loop, the creation finding freedom not in the escape he longs for but in the act of creation, in accepting the psychic landscape of Desert B and making an Eden of his own, a place that brings to mind the world of Stel and Atana of Edena. A world which we already know the Major rules as the godlike Burg. In his last work, Moebius finally closes that loop!

Stellar work from the best to ever do it. The impact Moebius can summon by gathering his loose, scratchy inks into images of great complexity and definition never ceases to floor me. This book repeats the ending of Inside Moebius but it doesn't matter because that ending rocks. The divine captured in lines on paper. If you can do it effortlessly, why not do it more than once?