Blackbird Days

by Manuele Fior, Manuele Fior

In this collection, two giant robots battle it out in a European metropolis; an engineer is asked to inspect something unusual at a marble quarry; a recently relocated father loses his young son in Berlin’s Tempelhof Park; the painter Arnold Böcklin takes a trip before he paints his famous masterpiece, The Island of Death; and, an immigrant grandmother tells the story of how she escaped war in Indochina. Blackbird Days is rounded out with an autobiographical snapshot of the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, Fior’s home.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Short Stories, Fiction, Italy, Ebooks, Slice Of Life

104 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Manuele Fior is an Italian cartoonist and illustrator. He was born in Cesena in 1975 and studied architecture at the University of Venice. He worked as an architect, illustrator and comic book artist in Berlin, Oslo and Paris. He currently lives in Venice.
Fior has received recognition for his comics since the 1990s. His most recent graphic novels 5,000 KM Per Second (2009), The Interview (2013), Blackbird Days (2016), Celestia (2021) and Hypericon (2022) have been translated in English by Fantagraphics. His illustration work has been featured in The New Yorker, Le Monde, Vanity Fair, Sole 24 Ore, Internazionale, Rolling Stone Magazine, Les Inrocks.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories--some of them one page sketches, just vignettes, very short--by Manuel Fior (5,000 Km Per Second) about people who are struggling, on the edge, in various ways. The actual meaning of "blackbird days"pertains to the time--usually late January--when Italy Is coldest.

An artist on a retreat near Naples turns his boredom there into a great painting. A Parisian refugee from Laos and her French-born grandson exchange thoughts about their different national identities. Have they/will they ever be truly French? A teacher on a class trip fails to make connections with the kids and eventually just walks away. A sad man becomes a soldier, which of course only makes him sadder, more self-abusive. Did the war make him crazy? Is the military fiscally responsible for his condition?

The title story, the longest, is about an inspector visiting a quarry; the guy goes berserk, paranoid. But we learn that there's magic there in the mountain, in a new multi-colored strain of quartz the quarry owners think is connected to something remarkable, mysterious and inexplicable that happened in the night sky recently. The inspector leaves, hysterical, but a woman appears who is telepathic. Things are connected in ways we can't imagine. And that's it! So magic happens! Has a little touch of Ingmar Bergman in it, darkness, madness and a moment of light.

There's one odd one for fun, at the end, a sci fi one, seems out of place, but over all, Fior is showing us the range of what he can do, not just one style or approach. He changes his artistic style to match his subject, and the gorgeous production of this book honors his work. These are not "stories" with a clear beginning, middle and end, generally; they trail off, as life does (vs well hewn narratives). Fior is really a fine artist, worthy of your checking his work out. This is my third work of his I have read thus far all somewhat different, and I have liked them all.

[Fabian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serious cartoon poetry. There may be a few themes that are continued throughout these, practically travelogues of the strange waters people--ordinary people of the world--sometimes find themselves in. Included are the sights and impressions of people outside of their element. It is life, and here it is described with such brevity but such tremendous emotion. These French comics--previously read Vero Cazot's valentine to Latrec posters from the turn of the century, and was enamored--they are a worthy discovery and I hope I can get my paws on more!

[Emma]

Meh

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blackbird Days consists of several short stories that are generally amusing and well-illustrated, but never seem to go anywhere or leave much of an impression on the reader. The exception is the final story involving a mysterious cave that produces electricity, but even that story ends abruptly without a real conclusion.

[Roberto · Rating 1 out of 5]

Di che parla?

Una raccolta di racconti. Ben disegnati. Ottima tecnica.
Ecco.... ma che cosa significano?

Mah... Boh... Però... Non lo so...

Io credo che se ne possa fare abbondantemente a meno.

[Vittorio Rainone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok che è Manuele Fior, ma non mi ha realmente impressionato nessuno dei racconti, spesso minuscoli, proposti. E la raccolta suona più come un recupero per completisti dell’autore, che come un’operazione caratterizzata da un suo motore interno specifico.
Poi vabbè, per me racconti a fumetti, specie se molto piccoli come la maggior parte di quelli presentati qui, è molto difficile siano davvero convincenti.

[Alexander Lisovsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Сборник коротких графических рассказов Мануэле Фьора, автора "5 тысяч километров в секунду". Рассказы занятные, злободневные, местами смахивают на автобиографические, местами фантастически-непостижимые, с мягкой европейской (само)иронией. Больше всего мне понравилась одностраничная история про уставшего от жизни художника. Прикладываю её в конце ознакомительной галереи.

[Olavia Kite · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book’s main story is amazing. It reminds me a lot of The Interview. The other stories are enjoyable as well. Manuele Fior’s drawings are just beautiful to see.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

The range of the types of stories Fior is able to tell in just a few pages is impressive. Though it might not be fair to call them stories, per se. They are more like snapshots--kind of like those Apple photos that move just a little bit after you take them. He is tender and respectful with his subjects, but not intrusive, and he does not allow his audience to be either. I would have read more of every single entry. The consistency of voice and the variety of art styles creates a lovely tapestry and a fitting cross-section of his corner of the human race.

[Rivière Cécile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je suis restée sur ma faim avec ces courtes histoires car elles s'arrêtent abruptement (bien que subtilement!). De jolies dessins avec des styles différents tant et si bien que j'ai eu du mal à réaliser que c'était un seul et même auteur !

[Lee Piner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking throughout, this is a collection of stories I've already been moved to return to. If the beauty of a work is to make the reader feel, this is a masterpiece.

[Keen Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each tale is like a fragment or teaser for a longer and more detailed story. He clearly believes in keeping it short and keep them wanting more. For me the stories were too short, some of them being only two pages long. Fior plays with many different artistic forms and styles as well as many themes like historical, political and futuristic and many others, which give the work an added depth and scope.

He shows a fair amount of skill in his diverse and varied approach, with stories being set in Norway, Germany, France and his native Italy. My favourite was the title story, which had a real punch to it and promised so much more, and so I was disappointed when it finished so soon, but I suspect that’s the point. The art work was colourful, creative and not afraid to use different styles.

I found this collection to be really enjoyable and entertaining. I like Fior’s style and I would definitely like to read more of his work, though preferably in a more fully fleshed form as he has obvious talent in both drawing and writing.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with most anthology collections, some of the stories really work and some don't. The highlights come with the ones that feel like follow-ups to his previous work- Postcard from Oslo is like an extension of 5,00 km Per Second, and Blackbird Days seems related to The Interview. There's also a giant sci-fi mecha battle at the end that I really love, that feels out of place with everything else but is pretty great. Really, there's a lot here that's worth checking out if you're a fan of Manuele Fior's other work and want to see more of him experimenting with the comic form, but not enough to make it a great anthology series as an individual read.

[Arantxa Orig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite among Manuele Fior's published works 😁 I'm beating myself up for not reading this comic collection sooner 😤 Some of the standouts were Help! Hilfe!, Class Trip, and the Postcard from Salento 😁 I can understand the thoughts running inside the male protagonist's mind in Postcard from Salento in particular—I have a habit of thinking about vehicular accidents while on a road trip myself 😰😰😰

On another note, I think the comic Blackbird Days is somehow connected to Fior's The Interview. Dora looks similar to the woman entering the quarry 😳 To this day, I still don't understand much of the plot of The Interview, and Blackbird Days isn't much of a help 😅

[Zioluc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raccolta di fumetti brevissimi pubblicati su diversi periodici nell'arco degli anni. Interessanti e magistralmente disegnati come sempre per Fior, a volte lasciano il segno altre mancano il bersaglio.

[Perline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the different styles of drawing. All short stories are quite pessimistic/nostalgic/sad. Several feel more like a first chapter of a story than a full short story, which is quite frustrating.

[Don Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fior's pacing and understatement are what make these short tales. Quiet revelations, often teased out of the details of modern life. Small literary masterpieces featuring great art.

[Leaflet · Rating 1 out of 5]

What did I just read?? A bunch of short stories that either went completely over my head or under it. I didn't get any of them.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compilation of quirky and occasionally bizzare short stories told in graphic form.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and unique.

[Jenika Ioffreda · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting comic book anthology, good drawings, I enjoyed it.
3.5 stars

[Sundry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting vignettes, and a celebration of many of Fior's styles.

[Jake Nap · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love me some short stories and vignettes. Fior definitely delivers no misses here, I enjoyed them all. No story left me in awe but each was done very well.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fior’s versatility is impressive.

[carys · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyable

[Corvid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the artstyle but everything felt just. Incredibly fragmentary. Nothing in this seemed whole. Which is fine, just a little bit disappointing to me.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amaaaaazing art

[claundici · Rating 4 out of 5]

<3