The Collected Toppi Vol. 1

The Collected Toppi #1

by Sergio Toppi

Presenting the first in a seven-volume library of works by master illustrator Sergio Toppi. The first volume, The Enchanted World, contains eleven tales of high fantasy in English for the first time, previously collected as Black & Tans, Krull, and A Minor God.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Art, Short Stories, Horror, Graphic Novels Comics

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 29, 2019

About the author

Sergio Toppi was an Italian illustrator and comics author from Milan.
Toppi's art style is known for its sophisticated compositions and an unmatched ability with hatching.
Young Toppi left his medical studies in the early 50's to pursue a career in illustration, which lasted until his death at age eighty. His illustrations were featured in many Italian newspapers, magazines and books.
Toppi also developed a comics career since the middle of the 60's. His body of work in comics is mostly composed of short stories on a wide range of subject matters, often in a historical or fantasy setting. Toppi's stories appeared in a number of Italian comics magazines, from the ones devoted to kids such as Il Corriere dei Piccoli and Il Giornalino, to those targeting a more mature or larger audience, like Sgt. Kirk, Linus, alter alter, Corto Maltese, L'Eternauta, Comic Art, Orient Express. For the latter magazine Toppi created in the 80's his only recurring comics character, called Il Collezionista (The Collector).

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first of seven volumes by Italian comics master Sergio Toppi, this is a 9 x12 gallery edition hardcover, a kind of coffee table art book I have had around the house here for several weeks, but it is not just a series of paintings, but a collection of eleven short fantasy stories from different periods. Other volumes focus on different aspects of his art career. This is the first collection of its kind translated into English, so expect nothing but the best as we see the other volumes. Comics as great art.

Here’s a You Tube “trailer” of the book, in one minute, so you can see what a great artist Toppi is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNbBP...

One story, a kind of “children’s story” that out-grims Grimm, called “Krull” begins: “The village is dark and silent and the adults are fast asleep. The candles in the children’s room tremble with fear, for when the light goes out, Krull arrives. . . ” Krull is forced by his wife to take home children for supper (yes, I mean to cook them up in a stew!), but he, alas, would prefer other food.

Another, maybe my favorite, with some of the very best artwork,“Brocèlan Forest,” features a nice family on a picnic who encounters a witch, after which (ha!) things take a little turn for the worse.

The focus in this particular volume is on nature and the invention of magical creatures. The stories seem to be in the service of the art--his breathtaking ability--as opposed to the other way around. The stories are essentially sketches so the art can tell the tale. A master at work, in horror, magic, fantasy, fairy tales, fables, all of that.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spiteful witches, monsters lurking in abandoned towers, homicidal dolls, crazed lighthouse keepers (as if there’s any other kind!), dissatisfied mushroom-sitting gnomes, child-eating ogres, gods, seals, and Inuits - Sergio Toppi wrote and drew a lotta imaginative fantasy-based comics from the late ‘70s to the late ‘90s, and a bunch of ‘em are here in The Collected Toppi, Volume 1: The Enchanted World.

Of the 11 comics, I only really enjoyed about three, in terms of their story, but even for the ones that ran the gamut from middling to tedious, Toppi’s remarkable art is on every page so if the words don’t do anything for you, the visuals will hold the attention more effectively instead.

And Toppi was an artist first, writer second, for sure. The meticulous lines and level of detail might suggest insecurity in a lesser artist but you definitely don’t get that impression with Toppi. The stories are too ambitious, the layouts and visions too confident, and the range - taking in so many different kinds of animals, settings, and creeds of humans from numerous cultures and eras with near-photorealistic imagery - all speak to a master artist’s skill.

The three stories I liked were Brocelan Woods (1979), Black & Tans (1981), and The Dollmaker (1982). Brocelan Woods is about a family who go on a picnic in the woods and encounter a witch - with an unexpectedly comedic ending. Black & Tans sees two Irish soldiers encountering an orphan outside her family’s empty home - and a haunting nearby tower that draws them in. The story’s horror is successful for never showing what’s in the shadows, leaving it up to the reader to make their own conclusions.

The Dollmaker is my favourite of the bunch - a dark twist on Pinocchio where a dollmaker and his enchanted doll prey on rich elderly women. Until the doll starts to question what they’re doing… Toppi liked to throw in last page twists quite often and it works best in this story.

I’m not going to go through each of the other eight stories, but suffice it to say Toppi is able to capture a convincing fable-like tone in them typical of fairy tales. And, even though they weren’t as fun to read as the better stories, they were (mostly) unpredictable so I was still sorta intrigued to see what final twists Toppi would lob the reader. And of course the tremendous art is ever-present.

The Collected Toppi, Volume 1: The Enchanted World is a decent place to start for anyone interested in finding out more about this Italian master. I’d also recommend it to Hellboy fans as a number of these fantastical tales reminded me of the kind of stories you see throughout that series.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had one and only one severe flaw. It ended quickly.

In my mind Toppi was already beginning to place himself in the pantheon of comic artists, even before I've anything of his. Now, I'm just certain that that's the case. He is a truly a master of cinematic storytelling, his technique with the heavy inking and use of shadows in the building of each short story is superb. His brush strokes and the deeply personal abstract and simultaneously detailed style are the best example on why black and white always will be the purest way to create comics. On top of that, all of his stories in this album were top shelf in writing, really grim and atmospheric.

Really looking forward to the second volume on Toppi's library. Many thanks to Lionforge and the editors for offering us this piece of european comic history in english.

[Ty Kaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe I’ve went this long in my life without discovering Toppi. This is an absolute master class of sequential art and story telling. Imagine if Lord Dunsany discovered Acid and took up writing comics. The narratives are timeless and have a tinge of nightmare to them. Toppi can do in a few word balloons and some panels what it takes a novelist to say in 50 pages.

[Jim Reddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories range from 3 to 4 but the art is a 5. Beautiful work.

[Hosein · Rating 5 out of 5]

این کالکشن شش جلدی از سرجیو توپی، طراح ایتالیایی، تا حدودی آنتالوژی‌ کارهای مختلف اون از دهه هفتاد تا اواخر دهه‌ی نود میلادیه. هر کدوم از جلد‌ها سراغ بخشی از زمین، افسانه‌ها و داستان‌هاش می‌رن:

1. The Enchanted World - اروپا
2. North America - آمریکای شمالی
3- South America - آمریکای جنوبی
4. The Cradle of Life - آفریقا
5. The Eastern Path - خاورمیانه
6. Japan - ژاپن

جلد اول به طرز نفس‌گیری زیبا بود، هر کدوم از داستان‌ها جزئیات خودشون رو داشتن و رویکردی که توپی برای اجرای هر پلان و ترکیب‌بندی‌ها در نظر گرفته بود برای من جدید بودن. خیلی خوب داستان‌های فولکلور کشورهای مختلف رو وارد کمیک‌ها کرده بود و توی اجرا هم می‌شه گفت نقصی نداشت.

[Ben Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toppi is a master.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful edition. Toppi is a master of art - but not of scripts, which is why I'm knocking off one star.

[kaitlphere · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the patchwork-looking line art in the architecture and nature areas of this comic book.

This was an anthology. The setting and characters of these stories varied quite a bit but they all had a theme of something mythical or fairy-like. The stories were mostly somewhat unsettling.

My favorite story was "The King and the Crow."

[Alvaro Francisco Hidalgo Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art is great and many of the stories are quite good, dealing in this collection mostly with death and the power of gods and other supernatural beings. His worlds, while terrestrial, are full of magic, to which humans are at the mercy of.

[Viktoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

абсолютно феноменален

[july · Rating 4 out of 5]

➡ Brocèlan Wood - ★★★★☆
What I first thought would be a retelling of Hansel & Gretel, but I'm not so sure anymore...
It gave me much to think about - that what which for us could be considered an insult, for others is nothing but reality, and denying it to them can be instead the greatest affront.
An unexpected tragicomic ending, but nowadays warplanes are everywhere.

➡ Black & Tans - ★★★★★
To consider part of what I can see as a long-lasting saga of me consuming media on Irish history and lore, and in particular (as if it hasn't been anything but that for centuries now) on Ireland looking for freedom and indipendence from England.
I love the ambiguity of a god living in a tower to make space for the girl in its home, and then taking a life for a life to avenge what she lost. I would love to read more on Cú Chulain.

➡ Solitudinis Morbus - ★★★★★
A psychological virus affects only lightouse keepers.

➡ Krull - ★★★☆☆
I feel like this could be the BFG prequel.

➡ Mushrooms - ★★★☆☆
So, while in the previous story its protagonist couldn't stand what was to be expected of their life for the better, this other one won't stand its assigned role with worse consequences.

➡ The King and the Crow - ★★★★☆
A stone king consumed by nostalgia for his days of might learns that great patience gets rewarded with greater results.

➡ Hortruge - ★★★★☆
Maga Circe™ strikes again, and the shepherd reminded me of a tale from home on departure with no safe return, or no return at all. Which, I'm noticing just now, seems to be such a common theme in stories from home.

➡ The Dollmaker - ★★★☆☆
I love stories of creatures destroying their creator; if he's her maker, it's only right she's the one to unmake him. A metaphoric tale of fathers and daughters.

➡ Aioranguaq - ★★★★☆
A man loses and regains his name.

➡ Pribiloff 1898 - ★★★☆☆
A tale of retribution and transformation.
[see also: to collect with my stories of sealskins]

➡ A Minor God - ★★★★★
Lesser deities of the past will be forgotten, if never passed down orally; but what remains of the people who worshipped them (or did they?) will be remembered and considered, by history and science, some sort of divine miracle themselves.

[Rural Soul · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love about European Comics is that they always have that philosophical depth in art and writing. I don't remember that how did I stumbled upon Sergio's previous art but in my humble opinion He wasn't just a great artist but a master storyteller too.
This is first volume of His collected work, very beautiful art with amazing stories. The stories which are blended of actual history, folklore and fantasy. They force me to read more in depth about these subjects to get core idea behind them.
Another unique thing about His stories is that sometimes He adds modern world elements in stories depicting old ages. It makes us to believe that may be the legend He is talking about didn't happen in this world but rather in an alternate reality.
I wish He could have a colourist or His work could have been colourised. Then that would have been amazing.

[Dr_venkatmac.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many people have made comments that the stories are not that great. In a way I agree but these stories probably made more sense in a different time. But the core emotions the stories convey still remains the same. Context especially without much explanation might be harder to grasp and enjoy if you are not used to reading a lot of abstract comics. As everyone has noted the art is phenomenal and one of a kind

[Marta Duda-Gryc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enchanting. Some stories are only pretextual, so maybe I should mark 4 stars - but the graphics, atmosphere, and some other stories were amazing, and even my child says so. So - 5/5.

[João Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Após ter lido o volume 1 da coleção Sergio Toppi da editora Figura e já ter tido contato com Tanka e Fábulas do Velho Mundo, admito que o interesse por histórias dedicadas a seres mágicos não foi tão chamativa para mim, diante da potência do autor ao tratar do colonialismo.
Porém esse volume deslumbra com trabalhos artísticos de incríveis traços (elemento mais característico da arte de Sergio Toppi) e com criatividade e inventividade surpreendentes.
Escolhi duas histórias em específico para detalhar um pouco do quanto podemos depreender das narrativas presentes nesse volume:
Bois Brocellan: história com arte deslumbrante, assim como as demais obras deste autor, mas destaco o quanto ele representa a grandiosidade do cenário contrastando com a simplicidade da família humana passeando pelo bosque, ressaltando o quanto somos alheios a esse ambiente. O desfecho com o feitiço da bruxa, transformando eles em árvores cria um contraste com a bomba jogada por aviadores testando uma aeronave que propositalmente se parece muito com a silhueta de uma bruxa. Esse paralelo visual entre o destino dos protagonistas após o feitiço da bruxa e após a bomba jogada pelos aviadores é uma bela crítica à modernidade, ao quanto podemos ser auto agressivos por encararmos a natureza como algo alheio a nós. Por fim, ainda critica o quanto podemos ser cegos para os impactos das nossas isenções no ramo de armamentos ao mostrar um aviador subestimando a difusão e importância que seria assumida pelas aeronaves em contexto bélico.
Um deus menor: Pensando no fato de que Susan Sontag já reconhecia que provavelmente seria famosa, e por isso sua produção intelectual e artística seria buscada e reconhecida como de grande importância; ela já escrevia os seus diários pensando naqueles que os leriam depois. Não deixo de enxergar nisso um reflexo neste conto.
Nessa história vemos um ‘deus menor’ não nomeado de um povo não especificado ou nomeado que se reconhece como o deus das montanhas em que seu povo e ele habitam. Este fica extremamente desconcertado com a vinda de um forasteiro com crenças próprias, hábitos próprios e que desafia o seu domínio daquela região. Decidido a acabar com tal incômodo, esse deus mata o homem envenenado, e regozija-se pensando que ele nunca será encontrado novamente, perdido no meio das montanhas, sem saberem seu nome, suas origens, suas crenças e sua identidade, enquanto, por ser um deus, crê que será reconhecido eternamente pelos seus feitos.
No entanto, a história termina com o homem sendo encontrado mumificado pelo gelo e tratado como um espécime arqueológico de grande interesse, sendo buscado saber até mesmo a sua flora intestinal. Nas últimas palavras deste homem, enquanto seus corpo está com a mão estendida na sua posição de múmia parece recriar a cena da criação de Adão de Michelângelo com o maquinário dos cientistas, simbolizando a nova vida e o renascimento que a humanidade pode conferir a si mesma graças à tecnologia e à história e busca pela manutenção da memória e, em outro ângulo, parece estar disposta em demonstração de triunfo, ressaltado pela frase proferida pelo cadáver contra o deus menor simbolizando novamente o triunfo do ser humano e do conhecimento técnico e científico frente às forças reacionárias do mito, simbolizadas pelo deus menor.

[Elvis Cosovic]

Sometimes I wonder if detailed artwork in comics should even be a thing--it can be really bothersome due to the sequential nature of comics--,but then I return to Toppi and all is well. His pages breath: the detail (for the most part) flows in languid lines in dense spots; cluttered sequences are relieved by usage of negative and positives spaces of white and black; detail is compressed into small shapes and play of of bigger ones so that they suggest more but also allows for a better reading flow from panel to panel; the shapes bend and stretch even beyond the borders of the page so as to conform to a totality, but also to save on space in terms of narrative (like the plane landing on the border of the page). Still, this volume is a more standard Toppi: for his more "flowy" type of storytelling, check out stuff like his Sharaz-de.

[Paul S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The guy's art is thoughtful, skillful, wild, and stylish. I haven't seen anything like it. The lines are everywhere creating texture and depth. Great use of negative space and page layout. It is something else. This collection seemed to be never ending; there's a lot of content here.
I eventually saw a sort of pattern emerge in his work... like he's really good at drawing faces so it's like he'll draw a face on a page and then create a comic collage and story spilling out around it.

As others have said, I agree that the stories come off as weak but considering they are shorts that were published in magazines, I appreciate what he manages to accomplish in short form and the stories have a lasting impression. I get a lot of O'Henry, Borges, and Roald Dahl vibes from his stories.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of stories by Italian master cartoonist, Sergio Toppi. The comics collected in here are breathtakingly beautiful, but unfortunately not all that interesting to read. The number of short stories here usually revolved around fantastical archetypes like witches, monsters and other types of supernatural entities, and usually involve a tinge of cosmic horror. It's really the meticulous linework and intricate detail that gravitates me towards exploring more of Toppi's work - the stories themselves cannot live up to the scale of the artwork. As a fan of horror comics in general, I was generally pleased by Toppi's ability to elicit reactions with some of his designs. Definitely works a bit better as a coffee table book than an actual collection of comics.

[Vinayak Hegde · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant and haunting curation of stories blending intrigue, history, war, horror, and fantasy. My favorites—Hortuge, A Minor God, and Solitudinous Morbus—stood out for their atmosphere and depth. Several tales, like Krull, Mushrooms, The Dollmaker, and Hortuge, evoked a sense of dark folklore reminiscent of the Brothers Grimm, infused with elements of magical realism and the lingering shadow of violence and war.

The artwork is equally exceptional—rich in texture, with masterful hatching, dynamic panel layouts, and sweeping fantastical compositions. The artist’s command of black and white, and his use of both negative and positive space, is extraordinary. This collection feels like the work of a true master at the height of his craft.

[Omar Misdaq · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toppi is a genius of line, of composition. His pages are a riot of texture, all kinds of crazed lines coming in a weird harmony. Very inspiring. It seems he also wrote each story too, which is impressive because they're excellent little stories. There is no artist like Toppi - he's just out of this world.

[Amanda Majasaari · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first touch with Toppi - and I really do love this <3 Art / illustrations are amazing - even stronger and deeper as Pratt or Comez. And stories in this first volume are mythical and a good way weird tales from everyday situations. After this there is three more Toppi waiting for me in my bookshelf - vol 2. and 3. and The Collector.

[Titus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third of these Toppi books that I've read and it's essentially more of the same, i.e. a collection of short, mystical, folkloric comics, featuring some of the most astounding artwork I've ever seen. I do feel like the stories in this collection are more fragmentary – and less satisfying – than in the other two books I’ve read… but did I mention that the artwork is incredible?

[Courtney K · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm still a graphic novel newbie and was unfamiliar with this artist. The cover is misleading as the drawings are all black ink. Some of them are beautiful, like a drawing of a creepy little girl, but most are difficult to dissect. The stories were all very dark.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The enchanted world is a collection of short stories illustrated by the legend, Sergio Toppi. Considered as one of the greatest artists of illustration in Europe, the stories are spectacular to read and beautifully drafted.

[Robert Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toppi's sensibilities for page composition are astounding. The short stories in this compilation are quite entertaining. Of all the volumes in this series (six so far) I think this is my favorite, and an incredible compilation to lead off with.

[Bo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories of this first volume are often like a slightly more whimsical version of what you'd expect from the EC horror comics of the 1950s. Fairy tale stories with some twist at the end, maybe a moral message, maybe not.
Toppi's art is top-notch-i.

[Hiko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eqzotik gözəllik deyə bir rəy yazmaq keçdi ürəyimdən. 😂 Halbuki çox da eqzotik yerlərdə baş vermir hadisələr. Amma hekayələrin fərqliliyi bu komiks aləmində fərqli olduğu üçün eqzotik hiss elətdirdi! 😍🔥

[Brian Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toppi is collection of short stories drawn in black and white. Despite the lack of colors, author's attention to details trick your brain that you are reading a black and white photos. This is balanced by good story telling by Mr. Toppi.

[Wesley McCraw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great art, but the stories are never more than just okay.