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Nikopol #1-3
The Nikopol Trilogy
This critically acclaimed collection follows the incredible journey of Alcide Nikopol in the company of the vengeful god Horus of Hierakonopolis and Jill Bioskop, a mysterious woman with blue hair, from Paris to Berlin, Cairo to Equator City. The tale is a unique mix of science fiction, anxiety, humor, and strangeness from Europe's premier comics creator, Enki Bilal.
This hardcover volume presents The Carnival of Immortals, The Woman Trap, and Equator Cold, three of Europe's best-selling graphic novels of all time.
This hardcover volume presents The Carnival of Immortals, The Woman Trap, and Equator Cold, three of Europe's best-selling graphic novels of all time.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published September 23, 1992
56 people are currently reading
2873 people want to read
About the author
Enki Bilal
243 books316 followersEnki Bilal (born Enes Bilal) is a French comic book creator and film director.
Bilal was born in Belgrade, then the capital of Yugoslavia, to a Czech mother, Ana, who came to Belgrade as child from Karlovy Vary, and a Bosnian Muslim father, Muhamed Hamo Bilal who had been Josip Broz Tito's tailor. When he was five years old, his father managed to take a trip and stay in Paris as a political émigré. Enki and the rest of the family followed him, four years later.
Enki Bilal has no sense of belonging to any ethnic group and religion, nor is he obsessed with soil and roots. He said in one interview: "I also feel Bosnian by my father's origin, a Serb by my place of birth and a Croat by my relationship with a certain friends, not to mention my other Czech half, who I am inherited from mother".
At age 14, he met René Goscinny and with his encouragement applied his talent to comics. He produced work for Goscinny's Franco-Belgian comics magazine Pilote in the 1970s, publishing his first story, Le Bol Maudit, in 1972.
In 1975, Bilal began working with script writer Pierre Christin on a series of dark and surreal tales, resulting in the body of work titled Légendes d'Aujourd'hui.
He is best known for the Nikopol trilogy (La Foire aux immortels, La Femme piège and Froid Équateur), which took more than a decade to complete. Bilal wrote the script and did the artwork. The final chapter, Froid Équateur, was chosen book of the year by the magazine Lire and is acknowledged by the inventor of chess boxing as the inspiration for the sport.
Quatre? (2007), the last book in the Hatzfeld tetralogy, deals with the breakup of Yugoslavia from a future viewpoint. The first installment came in 1998 in the shape of Le Sommeil du Monstre opening with the main character, Nike, remembering the war in a series of traumatic flashbacks.
In 2012, Bilal was featured in a solo exhibition at The Louvre. The exhibition, titled "The Ghosts of the Louvre", ran from 20 December 2012 to 18 March 2013. The exhibition was organized by Fabrice Douar, and featured a series of paintings of "Ghosts", done atop photographs that Bilal took of the Louvre's collection.
Bilal was born in Belgrade, then the capital of Yugoslavia, to a Czech mother, Ana, who came to Belgrade as child from Karlovy Vary, and a Bosnian Muslim father, Muhamed Hamo Bilal who had been Josip Broz Tito's tailor. When he was five years old, his father managed to take a trip and stay in Paris as a political émigré. Enki and the rest of the family followed him, four years later.
Enki Bilal has no sense of belonging to any ethnic group and religion, nor is he obsessed with soil and roots. He said in one interview: "I also feel Bosnian by my father's origin, a Serb by my place of birth and a Croat by my relationship with a certain friends, not to mention my other Czech half, who I am inherited from mother".
At age 14, he met René Goscinny and with his encouragement applied his talent to comics. He produced work for Goscinny's Franco-Belgian comics magazine Pilote in the 1970s, publishing his first story, Le Bol Maudit, in 1972.
In 1975, Bilal began working with script writer Pierre Christin on a series of dark and surreal tales, resulting in the body of work titled Légendes d'Aujourd'hui.
He is best known for the Nikopol trilogy (La Foire aux immortels, La Femme piège and Froid Équateur), which took more than a decade to complete. Bilal wrote the script and did the artwork. The final chapter, Froid Équateur, was chosen book of the year by the magazine Lire and is acknowledged by the inventor of chess boxing as the inspiration for the sport.
Quatre? (2007), the last book in the Hatzfeld tetralogy, deals with the breakup of Yugoslavia from a future viewpoint. The first installment came in 1998 in the shape of Le Sommeil du Monstre opening with the main character, Nike, remembering the war in a series of traumatic flashbacks.
In 2012, Bilal was featured in a solo exhibition at The Louvre. The exhibition, titled "The Ghosts of the Louvre", ran from 20 December 2012 to 18 March 2013. The exhibition was organized by Fabrice Douar, and featured a series of paintings of "Ghosts", done atop photographs that Bilal took of the Louvre's collection.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
September 7, 2011
There's something so indulgent about French stories, which is at the same time their strength and their downfall. They lilt along, laughing and provoking, never shying away, but there is also a lack of self-editing there that tends to leave them a bit silly and unfocused.
Sometimes, I think it's a problem of translation, and this translation is so unusually literal from the French, as if it were meant for primary English readers who understand the French language and culture, but who are unable to read in the language on their own. This is certainly one style of translation, but for a story like this, I tend to prefer a translation of idioms, emotions, and speech into the new language; but that requires a new writer just as creative and interesting as the original author.
But I also know it isn't entirely the problem of translation, as I've seen complex, intriguing stories that are delightful and deep even in translation, such as the works of Kurosawa or Charlier's 'Blueberry' comic. Then again, they are both familiar with the same Western traditions I am, so perhaps it's an easier shift.
Nikopol shows some of those indulgent tendencies, but also has an undercurrent of satire for overblown space operas like 'L'Incal'. Between engaging in indulgence and mocking indulgence, we get some fun, ironical, self-aware amusement, but there isn't a very strong plot to hang it all on. Perhaps it's my problem, but I tend to feel that nothing can really replace a good story.
The art was good, but the stylization was rather extreme. Everyone had the same cheekbones and the range of expression was disappointingly lacking. The world design was fun and detailed, though it all became similar rather quickly.
The colors were surprisingly straightforward, showing little dynamic exploration, especially when compared to the Moebius works that inspired it. The soft colors were pretty, but Bilal wasn't exactly pushing the boundaries. People were pinkish and the backgrounds were washed out browns and blues. When people were blue or green, it wasn't a mood choice, just some aliens.
It's always interesting to see the sci fi influence of Jodorowski's failed European Dune, from Blade Runner to most of Moebius' sci fi, but Nikopol is just another entry, not particularly revolutionary in its own right, though it was the inspiration for the sport of Chess Boxing, which is amusing enough, as legacies go.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
Sometimes, I think it's a problem of translation, and this translation is so unusually literal from the French, as if it were meant for primary English readers who understand the French language and culture, but who are unable to read in the language on their own. This is certainly one style of translation, but for a story like this, I tend to prefer a translation of idioms, emotions, and speech into the new language; but that requires a new writer just as creative and interesting as the original author.
But I also know it isn't entirely the problem of translation, as I've seen complex, intriguing stories that are delightful and deep even in translation, such as the works of Kurosawa or Charlier's 'Blueberry' comic. Then again, they are both familiar with the same Western traditions I am, so perhaps it's an easier shift.
Nikopol shows some of those indulgent tendencies, but also has an undercurrent of satire for overblown space operas like 'L'Incal'. Between engaging in indulgence and mocking indulgence, we get some fun, ironical, self-aware amusement, but there isn't a very strong plot to hang it all on. Perhaps it's my problem, but I tend to feel that nothing can really replace a good story.
The art was good, but the stylization was rather extreme. Everyone had the same cheekbones and the range of expression was disappointingly lacking. The world design was fun and detailed, though it all became similar rather quickly.
The colors were surprisingly straightforward, showing little dynamic exploration, especially when compared to the Moebius works that inspired it. The soft colors were pretty, but Bilal wasn't exactly pushing the boundaries. People were pinkish and the backgrounds were washed out browns and blues. When people were blue or green, it wasn't a mood choice, just some aliens.
It's always interesting to see the sci fi influence of Jodorowski's failed European Dune, from Blade Runner to most of Moebius' sci fi, but Nikopol is just another entry, not particularly revolutionary in its own right, though it was the inspiration for the sport of Chess Boxing, which is amusing enough, as legacies go.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
September 22, 2022
Fardello e Profezia
Enki Bilal è una fonte. In ogni sua pagina c'è un possibile mondo da esplorare e sviluppare. Potrebbe essere la musa di tanti scrittori o sognatori.
Questo fumetto ha ispirato il chessboxing e lo ha reso uno sport (reale) che viene praticato in tutto il mondo.
Enki Bilal è una fonte. In ogni sua pagina c'è un possibile mondo da esplorare e sviluppare. Potrebbe essere la musa di tanti scrittori o sognatori.
Questo fumetto ha ispirato il chessboxing e lo ha reso uno sport (reale) che viene praticato in tutto il mondo.
January 29, 2008
Surreal, gritty, and supremely strange, the Nikopol Trilogy is a loose three-part epic spanning 12 years of author Enki Bilal's career. Nikopol helped to make Bilal a household name in Europe, where the trilogy's oblique storytelling and signature artistic style both work against a reader's expectations.
The three volumes of the trilogy differ from one another markedly, both in their writing and as Bilal's style evolved. Rather than thinking the stories as mere sequels, each additional chapter surrounds and engulfs the scope of the previous tale.
The first chapter is entitled The Carnival of Immortals, and introduces us to a France overtaken by a regressive fascist regime in negotiations with the gods of the Egyptian pantheon. When a capsule containing a frozen astronaut named Alcide Nikopol falls from space, the future-shocked everyman is possessed by the renegade god Horus. Struggling to retain his free will, Nikopol finds himself swept into the physical and political violence of a world he no longer knows. Think: Directed by Ridley Scott.
The second chapter, The Woman Trap, taking place some years after the events of the first, centers on Jill Biskop, an exotic-looking journalist whose experimentation with mind-enhancing designer drugs is beginning to unravel her sense of reality. Her delicate grasp of reality receives a shock when her story becomes entangled with that of Nikopol and Horus. Think: Directed by David Lynch.
The third chapter, Cold Equator, follows the stories of Nikopol, Horus, Biskop, and Nikopol's son to a bizarre African free trade zone where the sport of the hour is chessboxing (which, as an aside, has become a real-world sport inspired by the comic). The most abstract of the three chapters, it is at once allegorical and satirical. Think: Directed by Guillermo del Toro.
Throughout, the Nikopol Trilogy is frustratingly opaque but rewardingly deep. Bilal (like many French-language graphic novelists) places a much heavier emphasis on art than the written word, showing much but telling little. This enables him to tell stories that can (perhaps must) be read at multiple levels. His use of visual metaphor is extensive and often overt, especially in the last chapter. Each image is meant to be lingered over and turned back to, as the reader tries to make sense of the story as an artistic object.
This storytelling style will, unsurprisingly, be a turn-off to many readers. Unlike most comic book authors, Bilal doesn't feel obligated to present a story with clear antagonists, clear resolutions, or much expository. the reader is on his (or her) own, and must make of it what they can. I find this sort of puzzle engrossing, but more casual readers may turn the final page and ask "What the hell was that?" without going back to figure it out.
The three volumes of the trilogy differ from one another markedly, both in their writing and as Bilal's style evolved. Rather than thinking the stories as mere sequels, each additional chapter surrounds and engulfs the scope of the previous tale.
The first chapter is entitled The Carnival of Immortals, and introduces us to a France overtaken by a regressive fascist regime in negotiations with the gods of the Egyptian pantheon. When a capsule containing a frozen astronaut named Alcide Nikopol falls from space, the future-shocked everyman is possessed by the renegade god Horus. Struggling to retain his free will, Nikopol finds himself swept into the physical and political violence of a world he no longer knows. Think: Directed by Ridley Scott.
The second chapter, The Woman Trap, taking place some years after the events of the first, centers on Jill Biskop, an exotic-looking journalist whose experimentation with mind-enhancing designer drugs is beginning to unravel her sense of reality. Her delicate grasp of reality receives a shock when her story becomes entangled with that of Nikopol and Horus. Think: Directed by David Lynch.
The third chapter, Cold Equator, follows the stories of Nikopol, Horus, Biskop, and Nikopol's son to a bizarre African free trade zone where the sport of the hour is chessboxing (which, as an aside, has become a real-world sport inspired by the comic). The most abstract of the three chapters, it is at once allegorical and satirical. Think: Directed by Guillermo del Toro.
Throughout, the Nikopol Trilogy is frustratingly opaque but rewardingly deep. Bilal (like many French-language graphic novelists) places a much heavier emphasis on art than the written word, showing much but telling little. This enables him to tell stories that can (perhaps must) be read at multiple levels. His use of visual metaphor is extensive and often overt, especially in the last chapter. Each image is meant to be lingered over and turned back to, as the reader tries to make sense of the story as an artistic object.
This storytelling style will, unsurprisingly, be a turn-off to many readers. Unlike most comic book authors, Bilal doesn't feel obligated to present a story with clear antagonists, clear resolutions, or much expository. the reader is on his (or her) own, and must make of it what they can. I find this sort of puzzle engrossing, but more casual readers may turn the final page and ask "What the hell was that?" without going back to figure it out.
December 23, 2023
This was certainly The Piece of Art, no doubts there. Mad skills. Mad skills, you guys! This was done by hands - no computers, no wacoms, no f***ing midjourney or whatever they call this freaky heartless possessed by demons AI. So damn impressive job done!
As for the story, well, it's not that easy to read. We're basically getting three interconnected books in one, and they are all different in tone and accents, even in colours, but all the characters remain the same. Historical background, political background, Baudelaire's poetry, Egyptian gods, mysterious women, mutants, terrorists, time traveling (maybe, I'm still not sure) and many more - this totally surreal soup is dense. It's chaotic as hell. It's also funny. And... Maybe it requires more than just one read.
I'm sure it's not for everyone. By that I mean that not everyone will like it and surely some might even criticize it for too many reasons (I look at you, woke folks). Male gaze here? Definitely. Stereotypes of many kinds? Duuh. But probably no more than in any other classic comics from that period of time, the 80-ies, point at whatever you want, famous Incal included. And it is still worth reading and getting acquainted with. Maybe with a good nostalgic synth-pop soundtrack. ;)
As for the story, well, it's not that easy to read. We're basically getting three interconnected books in one, and they are all different in tone and accents, even in colours, but all the characters remain the same. Historical background, political background, Baudelaire's poetry, Egyptian gods, mysterious women, mutants, terrorists, time traveling (maybe, I'm still not sure) and many more - this totally surreal soup is dense. It's chaotic as hell. It's also funny. And... Maybe it requires more than just one read.
I'm sure it's not for everyone. By that I mean that not everyone will like it and surely some might even criticize it for too many reasons (I look at you, woke folks). Male gaze here? Definitely. Stereotypes of many kinds? Duuh. But probably no more than in any other classic comics from that period of time, the 80-ies, point at whatever you want, famous Incal included. And it is still worth reading and getting acquainted with. Maybe with a good nostalgic synth-pop soundtrack. ;)
October 11, 2024
Ja sam glup za ovo. Svakako bi mi se više dopalo da sam nekako samo gledao ovaj strip, ne čitajući tekst. Prvi album je neka vrsta društvene satire, drugi pomalo nekakav noir, treći već ne znam kako da opišem... Meni je ovo užasna papazjanija svega i svačega, bez ikakvog stila i reda u pripovedanju. Crtež je zato fantastičan. Jednu emociju nisam osetio dok sam čitao. Lažem, u prvom albumu ima par duhovitih stvari. Stvarno ne znam šta bih više rekao o ovome, osim da sam svestan da je gomili ljudi ovo remek-delo, ali mi stvarno glupo da se foliram i da govorim kako sam oduševljen ovim post-modernim i post-evolutivnim SF stripom.
September 10, 2016
Fumettista francese pubblicato tra gli altri dal «Métal Hurlant» fondato da Moebius, Enki Bilal disegna le sue storie fantascientifiche dagli anni ’70 ad oggi. La Trilogia di Nikopol contiene tre storie, collegate tra loro, create tra il 1980 e il 1992.
La prima è La fiera degli immortali, capolavoro ambientato in una Parigi futuribile governata dal dittatore Gianferdidando Cavolobianco, fascista e folle, ricalcato sulla figura e sull’effigie di Mussolini. Sospesa nel vuoto sopra la città, una piramide carica di divinità egizie in cerca di carburante. Queste le premesse di un’opera dissacrante, sberleffo al potere e alla religione, campione di una fantascienza visionaria, colorata e conturbante, che prende vita nei meravigliosi disegni di Bilal.
Le vicende scorrono di storia in storia, passando per Berlino e approdando in un’Africa equatoriale sconvolta dai cambiamenti climatici, i cui cittadini sono uomini e animali. Seppure il secondo e il terzo capitolo non abbiano la forza dirompente e grandiosa del primo, la trilogia palpita di idee, di immagini, sconvolge e affascina, è una pietra miliare della fantascienza – disegnata, animata o filmata che sia.
Dalle prime due storie Bilal trae il film Immortal Ad Vitam nel 2004, purtroppo molto meno riuscito del fumetto originale.
La prima è La fiera degli immortali, capolavoro ambientato in una Parigi futuribile governata dal dittatore Gianferdidando Cavolobianco, fascista e folle, ricalcato sulla figura e sull’effigie di Mussolini. Sospesa nel vuoto sopra la città, una piramide carica di divinità egizie in cerca di carburante. Queste le premesse di un’opera dissacrante, sberleffo al potere e alla religione, campione di una fantascienza visionaria, colorata e conturbante, che prende vita nei meravigliosi disegni di Bilal.
Le vicende scorrono di storia in storia, passando per Berlino e approdando in un’Africa equatoriale sconvolta dai cambiamenti climatici, i cui cittadini sono uomini e animali. Seppure il secondo e il terzo capitolo non abbiano la forza dirompente e grandiosa del primo, la trilogia palpita di idee, di immagini, sconvolge e affascina, è una pietra miliare della fantascienza – disegnata, animata o filmata che sia.
Dalle prime due storie Bilal trae il film Immortal Ad Vitam nel 2004, purtroppo molto meno riuscito del fumetto originale.
October 5, 2022
La trilogia Nikopol, comprende appunto i tre albi dedicati alle disavventure di Nikopol, come sfondo abbiamo un futuro non troppo lontano e profondamente apocalittico, dove la viscerale sete di potere dell'essere umano non si smentisce mai, dove le disuguaglianze sono sempre più marcate, dove l'amore, quel sentimento che potrebbe salvare il genere umano dall'oblio (forse potrebbe risultare la solita frase ad effetto tanto per accalappiare consensi, ma se ci pensiamo su davvero, l'amore, quello universale, quindi quel sentimento unico ed inimitabile che ci unisce tutti in un abbraccio con tutta la Natura... ok, sto andando troppo nel melenso andante, scusate!).
Comunque Nikopol, il nostro protagonista, O' fratellini e sorelline, ne vedrà di cotte e di crude, che nemmeno ve lo immaginate e col truglio tutto rosso rosso, cercherà di ciangottare, sbarellando con le lettere, mischiando le parole e col cardine fuori posto e... opsss no questo è Alex di Arancia Meccanica... pffff mi sa che è il mio di gulliver ad essere andato in pappa :-P
Comunque Nikopol, il nostro protagonista, O' fratellini e sorelline, ne vedrà di cotte e di crude, che nemmeno ve lo immaginate e col truglio tutto rosso rosso, cercherà di ciangottare, sbarellando con le lettere, mischiando le parole e col cardine fuori posto e... opsss no questo è Alex di Arancia Meccanica... pffff mi sa che è il mio di gulliver ad essere andato in pappa :-P
March 11, 2017
Premisa price je zabavna, egipatski bogovi su divni i u simpaticnom kontekstu, razlaze se distopijska buducnost pa je malo i jeziva ali vec u drugom nastavku se sve ubrzava i dosta je kaoticno?
Crtez i tus su dosta genericki, ali svejedno ostavljaju solidan dojam tmurne post nuklearne apokalipse...
Crtez i tus su dosta genericki, ali svejedno ostavljaju solidan dojam tmurne post nuklearne apokalipse...
February 19, 2017
Interesting in some ways, disturbing in others. Unfortunately, one of its central themes is more relevant now than back when the trilogy was published.
April 7, 2019
Культова, важлива річ, але трохи не для мене. Загалом, концепт мені дуже імпонує: змішати апокаліптичний Париж із кіберпанком і єгипетською міфологією, додати ґротексту, філософії, маньєризум й бозна-чого ще. Це приправлено ще гострою соціальною критикою із відвертим лівим акцентом, тому як абетка для того, що нас чекає при наявності авторитарних лідерів чи технолологічних зловживань цілком підійде. Але читається це якось повільно, діалоги часто виглядають або дуже просто, або надто складно, тобто почасти штучно й рафіновано. Цікаво, що подібна непрохідність тексту взагалі наявна культовим, часто інтелектуальним франко-бельгійським BD (скажімо, "Інкалу" Алехандро Ходоровськи, ��кий хоч і чилійський автор, але все ж належить до європейської школи), тому тут можна надіятись лише на те, наскільки резонує, зачіпає графічна історія на індивідуальному рівні. Якщо "Інкал" для мене взагалі чи не найкращий комікс усіх часів і народів, то "Нікополь" поки не займає цього статусу, хоча й значно легший у плані наративу.
Зрозуміло, це чудовий комікс для дискусій, деконструкцій (хоча він сам по собі вже є деконструкцією і синтезом багатьох жанрів) і аналітичних статей, але чи може він бути сприйнятий із читацьким захватом - важко відповісти. Однозначно, що він потребує настрою, фокусування і культурологічної роботи із обов'язковим розкодуванням підтекстів і алюзій, бо в іншому разі це буде сприйнято як лише незвичний сай-фай із добротним малюнком, але не живий, динамічний текст, який хочеться перечитувати час від часу. Усе ж варто віддати належне малюнку. Техніка Білала просто вражає, його робота із контурами, кольорами й контрастами. Мовчу вже про те, що кожна панель виписана окремо вручну, без комп'ютерної графіки як сьогодні це прийнято. Тепер уявімо масштаби роботи. Утім, для європейських мальованих історій це не дивина, але варто про це наголосити, показуючи рівень Білала та його колег. Ще цікавим фактом є те, що автор придумав окремий вид спорту, який наче дехто практикує. Це ніяк не впливає на якість роботи, але поглиблює створений світ, що, все ж таки, може бути поруч із іншими великими проектами.
Зрозуміло, це чудовий комікс для дискусій, деконструкцій (хоча він сам по собі вже є деконструкцією і синтезом багатьох жанрів) і аналітичних статей, але чи може він бути сприйнятий із читацьким захватом - важко відповісти. Однозначно, що він потребує настрою, фокусування і культурологічної роботи із обов'язковим розкодуванням підтекстів і алюзій, бо в іншому разі це буде сприйнято як лише незвичний сай-фай із добротним малюнком, але не живий, динамічний текст, який хочеться перечитувати час від часу. Усе ж варто віддати належне малюнку. Техніка Білала просто вражає, його робота із контурами, кольорами й контрастами. Мовчу вже про те, що кожна панель виписана окремо вручну, без комп'ютерної графіки як сьогодні це прийнято. Тепер уявімо масштаби роботи. Утім, для європейських мальованих історій це не дивина, але варто про це наголосити, показуючи рівень Білала та його колег. Ще цікавим фактом є те, що автор придумав окремий вид спорту, який наче дехто практикує. Це ніяк не впливає на якість роботи, але поглиблює створений світ, що, все ж таки, може бути поруч із іншими великими проектами.
October 2, 2022
A wonderfully full experience, it’s much too beautiful, far too ugly, unacceptably messy and almost amusingly neat. It feels ancient and futuristic, and somehow, almost unbelievably, remarkably current. The colours and textures of the artwork fill in the details of the world exceptionally well, and the endless throwaway details make each panel worth lingering over.
It feels like there are a few layers I probably missed - some of the things it references I understood, others I felt there was something there to be recognised but I couldn’t catch what they actually were. I imagine if one came at this with the full insight into the inspiration behind each moment it would be an even better experience. As it is, it’s already superb, and immensely inspiring. I wish I understood Jill’s story in the second part a little better - as things lie I feel that it left me with far more questions than I wanted, but I accept that this is also an experience designed to provoke questions. I aspire to fill my life with as many textures and ideas as Bilal has shown us here.
It feels like there are a few layers I probably missed - some of the things it references I understood, others I felt there was something there to be recognised but I couldn’t catch what they actually were. I imagine if one came at this with the full insight into the inspiration behind each moment it would be an even better experience. As it is, it’s already superb, and immensely inspiring. I wish I understood Jill’s story in the second part a little better - as things lie I feel that it left me with far more questions than I wanted, but I accept that this is also an experience designed to provoke questions. I aspire to fill my life with as many textures and ideas as Bilal has shown us here.
December 12, 2014
Indiscutibile capolavoro. Sublime. Potrei parlarne fino a domani mattina. C'è dentro di tutto: l'ossessione del potere, lo smascheramento del divino, i tratti più grotteschi della satira e della parodia, la visione di un futuro decadente, la parodia dei fascismi (a cominciare da quello mussoliniano, vera fonte d'ispirazione per Bilal), e omaggi fantascientifici a quintali.
Splendide le illustrazioni, splendido il taglio quasi cinematografico dato all'opera, sceneggiatura originalissima, dialoghi magistrali. Enki Bilal va oltre il concetto stesso di arte, costringendoci a trovare un nuovo attributo per un'opera che ha così tanto da dire, e che anche quando verrà il tempo futuro da lui immaginato, non avrà esaurito la sua portata.
Splendide le illustrazioni, splendido il taglio quasi cinematografico dato all'opera, sceneggiatura originalissima, dialoghi magistrali. Enki Bilal va oltre il concetto stesso di arte, costringendoci a trovare un nuovo attributo per un'opera che ha così tanto da dire, e che anche quando verrà il tempo futuro da lui immaginato, non avrà esaurito la sua portata.
September 5, 2016
Every so often I read a European science fantasy graphic novel to remind myself that I should never read European science fantasy graphic novels. Does anyone actually read this garbage for anything other than the naked women?
January 11, 2023
This one has been on my to-read list for way too long. I enjoyed the artwork quite a bit, but I couldn't make heads or tails of the story. Glad I finally got around to it, but hmm maybe I'll try another one of his books and come back around to this one.
November 25, 2020
Vašar besmrtnika je fenomenalan!!! Remek delo!
Sjajna papazjanija egipatske mitologije, anti-utopijske budućnosti, hibernacije, političkih intriga i jedne izmišljene igre (šahoboks). Jedinstven likovni izraz i nezaboravni likovi, prepuno detalja koji upotpunjuju užitak, sa neočekivanom dozom humora.
Žena-klopka i Hladni Ekvador se odlikuju (tad već) prepoznatljivim Bilalovim stilom - meandiranjem bez konkretnog ušća, neverovatnim spojevima običnog i nadnaravnog koji čitaoca ostavljaju bez daha i željnog još.
(Potvrđen utisak pri ponovnom čitanju - neverovatno je koliko je sam zaplet nebitan, pa čak i pun nelogičnosti, i koliko je detaljan i ovaploćen svet koji Bilal predočava. Preteča vizuelnog doživljaja filma Hunger games, sa bizarnijim likovima.)
Sjajna papazjanija egipatske mitologije, anti-utopijske budućnosti, hibernacije, političkih intriga i jedne izmišljene igre (šahoboks). Jedinstven likovni izraz i nezaboravni likovi, prepuno detalja koji upotpunjuju užitak, sa neočekivanom dozom humora.
Žena-klopka i Hladni Ekvador se odlikuju (tad već) prepoznatljivim Bilalovim stilom - meandiranjem bez konkretnog ušća, neverovatnim spojevima običnog i nadnaravnog koji čitaoca ostavljaju bez daha i željnog još.
(Potvrđen utisak pri ponovnom čitanju - neverovatno je koliko je sam zaplet nebitan, pa čak i pun nelogičnosti, i koliko je detaljan i ovaploćen svet koji Bilal predočava. Preteča vizuelnog doživljaja filma Hunger games, sa bizarnijim likovima.)
June 24, 2016
Una storia assurda, al limite del ridicolo, con splendidi disegni e colori, un finale perfetto e dei personaggi meravigliosi.
July 7, 2022
Demasiado lisérgico para mi gusto, creo que no ha envejecido demasiado bien. Me estoy dando cuenta que en formato cómic no acabo de conectar con la ciencia ficción, me interesan más otros géneros.
June 4, 2013
I did not finish the third book, it got annoying, preachy and self important around the events in the previous books, while the art got darker, but not better.
I was expecting more god to human interaction and less manipulation, or at least some true gods involved, not some arrogant immortals not making use of their fabulous powers.
This is what bothered me the most about this book, why do the gods act as they do? Why don't they take the fuel they need in the beginning since they are almighty and powerful beyond imagination? I know this is the premise for the initial setup of the book, but it is a weak one and hardly believable. It rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning and it was kinda stuck in the back of my head. Especially with Horus and his attitude towards humans and gods, as if those actions he took would actually make a difference, like he would actually need Nikopol for accomplishing his plans.
I wanted to like this book, I really thought it will turn into something enjoyable at some point, but I was seriously disappointed in the end and it feels good that I didn't finish the third part, I felt like I was wasting my time with it and I refuse to do that with books and/or comics.
I was expecting more god to human interaction and less manipulation, or at least some true gods involved, not some arrogant immortals not making use of their fabulous powers.
This is what bothered me the most about this book, why do the gods act as they do? Why don't they take the fuel they need in the beginning since they are almighty and powerful beyond imagination? I know this is the premise for the initial setup of the book, but it is a weak one and hardly believable. It rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning and it was kinda stuck in the back of my head. Especially with Horus and his attitude towards humans and gods, as if those actions he took would actually make a difference, like he would actually need Nikopol for accomplishing his plans.
I wanted to like this book, I really thought it will turn into something enjoyable at some point, but I was seriously disappointed in the end and it feels good that I didn't finish the third part, I felt like I was wasting my time with it and I refuse to do that with books and/or comics.
May 4, 2013
It's dark, it's strong, and it may keep you up longer than coffee, because it's also very, very squalid -- so if you don't like that type of atmospheres, do not read this book.
Still, it's good. What I like most, is probably:
- The dark but beautiful artwork, especially in the second and third stories;
- The historical irony (at the beginning, a character thrown into a fascist futuristic version of his city remembers he learned something about Mussolini in school but doesn't remember what it was -- a very good take on the dangers of short historical memory);
- How unconnected, weird things become meaningful with time -- the nice thing about it is that the way meaning emerges is not rational but rather impressionistic (as compared, for instance, with Alan Moore's Watchmen);
- That by the end of the stories, even though you are not sure exactly what happened, you get a sense that you felt it happen;
In other words, it's rather "open" in terms of meaning, and you may like that, or not. I did.
Still, it's good. What I like most, is probably:
- The dark but beautiful artwork, especially in the second and third stories;
- The historical irony (at the beginning, a character thrown into a fascist futuristic version of his city remembers he learned something about Mussolini in school but doesn't remember what it was -- a very good take on the dangers of short historical memory);
- How unconnected, weird things become meaningful with time -- the nice thing about it is that the way meaning emerges is not rational but rather impressionistic (as compared, for instance, with Alan Moore's Watchmen);
- That by the end of the stories, even though you are not sure exactly what happened, you get a sense that you felt it happen;
In other words, it's rather "open" in terms of meaning, and you may like that, or not. I did.
June 4, 2018
Maravilha pura!
Um misto de surrealismo com low sci-fi Blade Runner, deuses e mortais, uma sociedade distópica e desejos carnais e de vingança, beirando o non sense, Bilal traça uma delicada trama que questiona a existência, o divino e a mortalidade assim como pais que viram filhos e filhos que viram pais.
Deveria ser exposto em tamanho natural para que todos pudessem ler.
Um misto de surrealismo com low sci-fi Blade Runner, deuses e mortais, uma sociedade distópica e desejos carnais e de vingança, beirando o non sense, Bilal traça uma delicada trama que questiona a existência, o divino e a mortalidade assim como pais que viram filhos e filhos que viram pais.
Deveria ser exposto em tamanho natural para que todos pudessem ler.
December 1, 2024
Classic "BD de science-fiction" Artist !
https://youtu.be/OBZ5BObdcug
April 21, 2025
Percebi alguma coisa? Não sei. É como se alguém tivesse criado pequenos cenários de grande violência estética, coisas que parecem impressionantes, como o processo de construção de mundos de uma criança a brincar com legos mas sempre com um desconforto a pairar por detrás. Não se precisa de dizer nada para ser arte impactante.
January 26, 2022
Il cyberpunk di rivisatizione europea, una perla sfortunatamente dimenticata
May 27, 2022
Pochmúrnej parížskej aglomerácii budúcnosti (roku 2023, ehm) vládne fašistický diktátor Kapustier, ktorý nadšene kopíruje Mussoliniho, nad mestom sa vznáša egyptská pyramída, boh Horus hľadá vhodné ľudské telo, a z neba padá kapsula s hibernovaným Nikopolom. Bohovia chcú od Kapustiera palivo, Kapustier chce od bohov nesmrteľnosť, Nikopol chce, aby mu dali pokoj, Horus sa chce zmocniť vlády nad mestom a tak celkovo intrigujú všetci proti všetkým. A blížia sa voľby. Čo by sa tak mohlo pokaziť? 😃
Ja mám pre Nikopola slabosť už od filmu Immortel (ad vitam), ktorý si Enki Bilal sám natočil, a ktorý mal síce milo nedotiahnuté CGI, ale skvelú atmosféru (a Charlotte Rampling). Film má s pôvodnou trilógiou spoločné nejaké kulisy, Nikopola a modrovlasú Jill (a egyptských bohov nad mestom) a to je asi tak všetko. Na rozdiel od trilógie má ale aj celkom logický príbeh, ktorý ide odniekiaľ niekam, čo sa o komikse veľmi povedať nedá (tri albumy sú dejovo spojené len veľmi voľne).
To ale vôbec nevadí, lebo veľká časť kúzla Nikopola je práve v atmosfére sveta, ktorý Enki Bilal (jeho mama mimochodom pochádza z Karlových Varov a otec bol krajčírom Josipa Tita) vytvoril, a v ktorom kombinuje novinové články, politické narážky, podivné sny, až absurdnú iróniu – no, legenda európskeho komiksu, čo vám poviem.
Ja som si veľmi vychutnala. A je tu obria pijavica na Eifellovke. A telepatická mačka. A robot, ktorý hľadá zmysel svojej existencie. A kresťanskí islamisti. A hokejové družstvo Rudé střely Bratislava, ktoré hrá za Čechosovětskú ríšu.
Ja mám pre Nikopola slabosť už od filmu Immortel (ad vitam), ktorý si Enki Bilal sám natočil, a ktorý mal síce milo nedotiahnuté CGI, ale skvelú atmosféru (a Charlotte Rampling). Film má s pôvodnou trilógiou spoločné nejaké kulisy, Nikopola a modrovlasú Jill (a egyptských bohov nad mestom) a to je asi tak všetko. Na rozdiel od trilógie má ale aj celkom logický príbeh, ktorý ide odniekiaľ niekam, čo sa o komikse veľmi povedať nedá (tri albumy sú dejovo spojené len veľmi voľne).
To ale vôbec nevadí, lebo veľká časť kúzla Nikopola je práve v atmosfére sveta, ktorý Enki Bilal (jeho mama mimochodom pochádza z Karlových Varov a otec bol krajčírom Josipa Tita) vytvoril, a v ktorom kombinuje novinové články, politické narážky, podivné sny, až absurdnú iróniu – no, legenda európskeho komiksu, čo vám poviem.
Ja som si veľmi vychutnala. A je tu obria pijavica na Eifellovke. A telepatická mačka. A robot, ktorý hľadá zmysel svojej existencie. A kresťanskí islamisti. A hokejové družstvo Rudé střely Bratislava, ktoré hrá za Čechosovětskú ríšu.
April 14, 2025
Foi um prazer voltar a Enki Bilal e a esta trilogia, da qual percebo agora não ter compreendido nem um terço dela quando a li, demasiado novo e imaturo, há mais de uma década. Uma história que se passa por esta altura em que vivemos, em que também há fascismo iminente e tudo.
Menos prazeroso foi ter dificuldade, nesta nova edição de tamanho reduzido, em ler alguns textos num tamanho de letra 6 ou 7. Nada contra diminuir o tamanho de uma BD, desde que se mantenha legível - e em algumas pranchas, aqui, isso torna-se difícil...
Menos prazeroso foi ter dificuldade, nesta nova edição de tamanho reduzido, em ler alguns textos num tamanho de letra 6 ou 7. Nada contra diminuir o tamanho de uma BD, desde que se mantenha legível - e em algumas pranchas, aqui, isso torna-se difícil...
July 23, 2020
Based on the English edition it feels like either something has been lost in translation (the author being a Serbian creator writing in French) or the writing was an incoherent, pretentious mess originally as well. The artwork may have made up for it, but the visual storytelling falls apart in the last part with repetitive panels that are regularly interrupted by pages filled to the brim with gratuitous exposition that add nothing meaningful to the story. It doesn't help that the comic aged very poorly in its depiction of the future and some of the story ideas do not mesh well at all. I mean the main character is compulsively quoting Baudelaire, has deep knowledge of XX. century history, yet doesn't question once why is there an alien god race that is perfectly analogous to ancient Egyptian mythology. On top of it all there are constant references to fictional measurement scales, even during highly subjective inner monologues, that just drove me crazy. By the end I got a headache reading the book. Definitely not for me.
May 3, 2018
I was not sure what was going on, it only became muddier as the series progressed, a bit too crazy and wild for my limited imagination. I didn’t enjoy the art or the writing, although striking at the start, I lost interest after page after page of same weird stuff. It did have some cool concept but the execution was not to my liking.
The plot revolves around a futuristic sci-fi world where there are Egyptian gods flying in a pyramid spaceship, a fascists French government and a world gone bonkers after two nuclear wars.
The plot revolves around a futuristic sci-fi world where there are Egyptian gods flying in a pyramid spaceship, a fascists French government and a world gone bonkers after two nuclear wars.
February 18, 2018
By turns sardonic, mystical, romantic, witty, and violent, this lushly illustrated trio of stories builds an immersive fantasy-futurist vision that one won't soon forget. Bilal seems to take a "more is more" approach, blending elements of espionage, mythology, film noir, surrealism, and meta-narrative into these stories. Each panel is exquisitely detailed, encouraging a pleasurably slow reading process. A spiritual cousin to The Incal but from a grimier, more pessimistic perspective.
April 11, 2018
Gorgeous art, but the storytelling feels dated.
September 30, 2021
Čekal jsem náročnou politickou sci-fi, ale začalo to egyptskými bohy hrajícími Monopoly…
Trilogie Nikopol je kniha podivných a docela praštěných povídek, které jsou absurdní takovým tím správným způsobem. Pobaví a zároveň nechtějí, abyste pátrali po hlubším významu, nebo snad dokonce po nějakém ponaučení. Snad jenom ukazují to, že lidstvo je malé, přízemní a nepoučitelné. Sci-fi a budoucnost jsou zde vlastně jen kulisy, které umožňují tento šílený postapokalyptický svět někam umístit.
První album "Jarmark nesmrtelných" je jakási politická sci-fi groteska, u které není potřeba se obávat nějakého politizování. Je to akčním, zábavné a vtipné. Druhé album "Volavka" opouští politiku a k již známým hrdinům přibírá modrovlasou holku s krabičkou plnou drog. Je to taková divoká povídka, která hrozně rychle uteče. Má výborné tempo a baví. Když si začnete říkat, že úvod máte za sebou a teď se rozjede hlavní děj, tak to skončí. Třetí album “Chladný rovník” pak pokračuje v podobném tempu jako druhé album, ale situace jsou snad ještě absurdnější a vtipnější. Zároveň uzavírá celou trilogii s mohutnou dávkou ironie. Konec se opravdu povedl.
Bilalova kresba je silně osobitá a na této trilogii je krásně vidět, jak se v průběhu dvanácti let, po kterou Nikopol vznikal, měnil její styl. I když je ve všech albech nesmírně detailní a má propracovaný koloring, tak teprve až od druhého alba se mi ta kresba začala líbit, přičemž ve třetím albu jsem s ní byl nejspokojenější.
Trilogie Nikopol je kniha podivných a docela praštěných povídek, které jsou absurdní takovým tím správným způsobem. Pobaví a zároveň nechtějí, abyste pátrali po hlubším významu, nebo snad dokonce po nějakém ponaučení. Snad jenom ukazují to, že lidstvo je malé, přízemní a nepoučitelné. Sci-fi a budoucnost jsou zde vlastně jen kulisy, které umožňují tento šílený postapokalyptický svět někam umístit.
První album "Jarmark nesmrtelných" je jakási politická sci-fi groteska, u které není potřeba se obávat nějakého politizování. Je to akčním, zábavné a vtipné. Druhé album "Volavka" opouští politiku a k již známým hrdinům přibírá modrovlasou holku s krabičkou plnou drog. Je to taková divoká povídka, která hrozně rychle uteče. Má výborné tempo a baví. Když si začnete říkat, že úvod máte za sebou a teď se rozjede hlavní děj, tak to skončí. Třetí album “Chladný rovník” pak pokračuje v podobném tempu jako druhé album, ale situace jsou snad ještě absurdnější a vtipnější. Zároveň uzavírá celou trilogii s mohutnou dávkou ironie. Konec se opravdu povedl.
Bilalova kresba je silně osobitá a na této trilogii je krásně vidět, jak se v průběhu dvanácti let, po kterou Nikopol vznikal, měnil její styl. I když je ve všech albech nesmírně detailní a má propracovaný koloring, tak teprve až od druhého alba se mi ta kresba začala líbit, přičemž ve třetím albu jsem s ní byl nejspokojenější.
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