Cose da uomini

by Zep

A metà degli anni Novanta i giovani Tricky Fingers – Sandro alla voce, Yvan ai testi e alla chitarra, JB al basso e Frank alla batteria – sognano di sfondare nel mondo del rock’n’roll. Diciott’anni dopo JB vende surgelati, Frank gestisce un ristorante e Yvan tira avanti come un eterno adolescente, terrorizzato all’idea di affrontare la vita. Solo l’ambizioso e carismatico Sandro è riuscito a diventare una rockstar, e invita i vecchi compagni di band a una rimpatriata nella sua sontuosa tenuta inglese. È l’occasione per la resa dei conti; il momento in cui vent’anni di vittorie, di fallimenti, di ferite ancora aperte e di segreti mai svelati vengono finalmente a galla.

Genres: Bande Dessinée, Comics, Graphic Novels, Music, Fiction, France

96 pages, Hardcover

First published September 11, 2013

About the author

Pseudonym of Philippe Chappuis

Reviews

[Alberto Martín de Hijas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zep trabaja en un registro diferente al que le dio fama. El argumento tiene buenos momentos, pero los personajes me parecen un poco tópicos y la narración presenta algunos momentos algo confusos.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, Zep clearly sucks when he tries more "grown-up" and mature illustration styles. His characters on this comic were wooden, depecting no emotion optically compared to what they were saying and supposedly feeling at every given moment. I'd stick with Titeuf if and when i want to enjoy Zep's cartoony illustrations. I'm not judging why he tried this genre and theme, every artist surely has the right and should exlore other fields of art, especially the ones he/she feels more uncomfortable with. I'm judging the end result as a reader and that, on the artistic part, was mediocre to bordeline bad.

If you're wondering why i gave this a 5/5, there is a very simple reason: It's flow and narration. It was so captivating that i started reading it on a train trip from Zurich to Baden and even when i changed trains and stood in the cold of almost 0 C, i couldn't let it go and stop reading. It was fast-paced, with an extremely well-constructed story about a bunch of washed-up rockers who failed at hiting it big and it didn't got boring or slowed down even one bit. And that's extremely difficult for a social-drama album like this one.

Try it. I got it as a gift for a friend and i'm really thinking of keeping it myself. Artistwise is crappy, script and naration-wise is phenomenally good.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really mediocre story about has been rockers who reunite for a weekend visit......-zzz zzz.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story by Swiss children's comics artist and musician Zep that is an homage to his life in rock music. Tells the story of a reunion of a band, Tricky Fingers (which sounds suspiciously like the Brit Punk band Stiff Little Fingers), now all middle-aged, trying to emotionally reconcile after all these years after their breakup precipitated by one band member's breaking the manager's nose while on acid. There's a fight, too, as they figure out who the real father of a child actually was. I thought it was good, not all that compelling, but I know some aging rockers to which I will recommend it.

Oh! I read it in English, and that edition's not yet listed here. I think it's not a great title for helping people figure out what the book is about.

[Eline · Rating 5 out of 5]

waaaw, celle là m'a retourné. ouf.

[StrictlySequential · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important matters:
He draws a divine snatch BUT aren't we all positive that you will never find any major child-recently-died depressives, on five valiums a day, who are perfectly trimmed around it with a tight rising sun tuft?

Lesser affairs:
The book? Well, it's excellent! The drama is cultivated and orchestrated with panache but he could've done better with the flashbacks and the ending is a bit too smooth for the reality that he portrays.

[Susana P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellente surprise avec cette bd. J'aimais Zep pour Titeuf, mais son travail en album dit "adulte" est tout aussi intéressant.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars overall
This starts out self-indulgently as a story of old bandmates, left behind by their lead singer (a Rock story as old as time) after a violent incident by the high-as-a-kite drummer, but it develops into a more involving and emotional tale as old bonds reveal secrets hidden for 20 years.
One thing that kept on confusing me was that Sandro (the titular successful lead singer) kept calling Ivan (the lead guitarist and song-writer) 'little bro', but I don't think it was because they were actually related (I think)...
I knocked it down half a star due to the prevalent 'male gaze' of the book; I love the human form, nude, or clothed, but here the women aren't really fleshed out (the book certainly doesn't pass the Bechdel Test), but I guess it is called 'A Story of Men', so maybe I shouldn't expect so much from it...

[NoID · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un groupe de rock, un groupe d’amis… une séparation et la vie qui mélange tout ça avec des femmes, des enfants, des accidents…

Une histoire tendre et amère sur la vie du point de vue des mecs. C’est plutôt bien vu et bien tourné. Un scénar’ rythmé aux nombreux flashbacks – et qui pourrait se retrouver facilement sur grand écran – soutenu par un talentueux dessin monochrome…

Des vies d’hommes et d’amitiés avec leurs succès et réussites, leurs failles, faiblesses, petitesses, trahisons… Des vies et des deuils

https://www.noid.ch/une-histoire-dhom...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The real reasons for the breakup of a band on the verge of success are revealed 20 years later at a reunion at the now-famous solo singer's estate. Memories and grievances are displayed in color-shifted flashbacks, as simmering tensions vie with nostalgic reminiscence. Despite a couple random unnecessary nude panels and an unearned cathartic epiphany, it's a well constructed and enjoyable Behind the Music-esque tale.

[Manfred Moonlight Ackermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je suis fan de Zep, principalement quand il fait des bd pour adultes.
Et là, on a une belle histoire de musiciens, sur deux périodes distinctes.
Les débuts, et ensuite quand leur chanteur est devenu une star ...
On apprend des choses sur les parcours de chacun et en fait c'est une belle histoire où l'humain est au centre. La vie, tout simplement, et magnifiquement raconté par Zep, comme il sait très bien le faire.
Décidément je suis fan de son travail.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un'opera anche molto corta ma dalla grande maturità narrativa e visiva.
La sceneggiatura, quasi fosse un film, con i tanti flashback e l'uso sapiente e alternato della cromia nelle varie tavole, aiuta ad entrare maggiormente nella psiche dei vari personaggi e ad immedesimarsi in essi e nelle loro scelte di vita.
E pensare che Zep sia lo stesso autore del mitico Titeuf, ne fa apprezzare ulteriormente questo notevole balzo di maturità espressiva!

[CathyGraphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comme d'autres, je fus surprise de voir Zep dans une BD autre que Titeuf. C'est une histoire qui pose beaucoup de questions et qui traite de pas mal de sujet: désire d'enfants, des parcours de vie qui se séparent et se retrouve ou pas du à une communication bancale. Je trouve qu'il y avait un sentiment d'inachevé, d'incomplet d'où mon rating de 3/5. Le dessin est superbe par contre.

[Chris Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

More impressive than actively enjoyable, but that’s partly because I don’t really care for the sort of story it covers. But the art is beautiful and the page composition is particularly impressive. I suspect I’ll be revisiting it a fair few times

[Emerise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Les couleurs de cette BD sont assez sombres pour marquer les souvenirs, la noirceur d’un ancien groupe d’amis autrefois réunis autour d’un groupe de rock aujourd’hui dissous. Leur réunion ravive les blessures du passé et fait éclater des secrets longtemps enfouis.

[Comics Alternative · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://comicsalternative.com/euro-com...

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story feels a little familiar but has a decent twist on a tale of bandmates holding on to grudges after one of them makes it big and leaves the others behind. The artwork is really well done.

[Vi · Rating 3 out of 5]

MUSIC STORY!!!

[Ribambelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touchant

[Jake Nap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb cartooning and storytelling. I loved the sparse use of color and Zoe’s paneling.

[Deniz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think reading this story in my 20s might have been good. Wouldn't want to skip dealing with all my crushed dreams and trauma at 43.

[Denis Lapointe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 étoiles.

[Roeliox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Middelmatig verhaaltje

[Camille B Tessier · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Pascal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sympa, roman graphique original par son sujet (les relations d'amitié entre un groupe d'hommes) et son approche des rapports humains.

[Mhvaugeois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quatre copains forment un groupe rock. Ils connaissent de plus en plus le succès. Un soir, juste avant un concert important, un acide de trop et c'est la fin du band. Ils étaient en route vers la gloire, un seul l'atteindra, en laissant ses amis derrière lui.
Dix-huit ans plus tard, il se retrouvent dans le manoir anglais de Sandro, devenu une méga star. C'est le moment idéal pour faire face aux vieilles rancoeurs et peut-être recommencer à vivre.
Après nous avoir fait bien rigoler avec sa série Titeuf et autres Captain Biceps, Zep présente une autre facette de son talent en écrivant une bande dessinée plus introspective, un album de la maturité.

http://librairievaugeois.blogspot.ca/...

[Philippe Lhoste · Rating 4 out of 5]

TODO