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Miss Pas Touche #3-4
Miss Don't Touch Me, Vol. 2
Blanche tries to leave the Pompadour, the high-class house of call girls, but their hooks are in deep. Nevertheless she encounters what could be her ticket out: a very handsome and very respectful young rich man, Antoine. She also reunites with her long-lost mother. It all seems rather idyllic but Antoine may be a little too respectful and how come her mother suddenly reappears?
96 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2007
5 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Hubert
90 books149 followersHubert Boulard de son vrai nom ; il naît à Saint Renan, Finistère, en 1971. À l’origine, il ne se destine pas à la Bande dessinée, mais aux Arts plastiques. Il entre aux Beaux-Arts, d’abord à Quimper, puis à Angers. C’est là qu’a lieu une rencontre déterminante : Yoann (Toto l’Ornithorynque, La Voleuse du Père Fauteuil...), qui se destine déjà à être auteur et est publié en Angleterre. C’est lui qui fait (re)découvrir la bande dessinée à Hubert et ce qui s’y passe alors, tant aux États-Unis (Miller, Sankievitz, Mac Kean, Mignola ...) qu’en France (Barbier, David B., Trondheim...). En 1994, Hubert passe son diplôme de fin d’étude avec des installations tendance conceptuelle. Une fois sorti, il se pose l’inévitable question : « Et maintenant ?» d’autant plus qu’il se sent de moins en moins attiré par le milieu de l’Art Contemporain et de plus en plus par l’écriture. Après un bref passage dans le graphisme, il commence à travailler comme coloriste (Ninie Rezergoude avec Yoann et Omond, éditions Delcourt en 1999). De nombreuses collaborations suivront (notamment avec Paul Gillon, Jason, David B, Tronchet, Philippe Berthet, Vink…). Il est actuellement le coloriste de la série Spirou, avec Yoann et Fabien Vehlmann. Parallèlement, en 2000, il signe ses premiers projets en tant que scénariste : Le Legs de l’Alchimiste avec Hervé Tanquerelle, paru chez Glénat (qui passe le relais à Benjamin Bachelier au tome 4) et Les Yeux verts avec Zanzim au dessin, aux éditions Carabas. En 2006, Hubert ait son entrée chez chez Poisson Pilote avec La Sirène des Pompiers, dessinée par Zanzim et Miss Pas Touche, réalisé avec les Kerascoët. Suivront en 2010 Bestioles, avec Ohm chez Dargaud, La Chair de l’araignée avec Marie Caillou chez Glénat et en 2011 Beauté avec les Kerascoët chez Dupuis. Hubert vit et travaille à Paris.
Texte et photo © Dargaud
Texte et photo © Dargaud
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 14, 2017
What the fuck was that ending
July 12, 2016
Wow! I didn't expect this volume to be even more f-ed up than the first one, and yet... I appreciated how I had a better understanding of what was going on this time, although the transitions are, well, nonexistent. The story is a riveting, easy read -- I polished this off in about a half hour waiting for dinner -- but the ending: really??? The story of Miss Don't Touch Me ends there?
March 25, 2020
Garbage. The end was underwhelming and abrupt. I realize this is set in historical times where homosexuality was (and still is) deemed perverted and an illness of the brain, but this story acted like it was a good thing that Antonio had brain surgery against his will to remove the "disease".
July 5, 2016
Blanche disappoints and becomes unrelatable, but can I fault her for being who she is? One of the perils of letting yourself relate to or live the story you're reading is being rudely thrown out of it by the author's intentions. I expected more from Blanche but she's led a traumatic life and I respect this series for not sugarcoating things.
July 23, 2013
Not as flashy as the first volume, but it slows down, we get to know the characters better, and it is still fun and is a mystery.... I liked it a lot, kept me turning the pages, and the art is great...
May 26, 2015
Slightly disappointed that this one is less of a whodunit. The mother plotline made me rageful. Still very readable and well-executed. I'm sorry this seems to be the end.
November 1, 2015
Completely different tone from the first volume. Did not enjoy
June 11, 2021
Definitely not as good as the whodunit explored in the first volume. Our protagonist seems much less in control and level-headed here and the problematic issues delved on here are a bit too surface to justify their inclusion. I liked the inclusion of Blanche's mother but a lot of the other characters didn't hit as hard as in the previous volume. The ending is bit disappointing as well.
February 26, 2016
A Sophisticated French Graphic Noir
First some important housekeeping so that you aren't disapointed with what you buy. Blanche's story originally appeared in English in two volumes - "Miss Don't Touch Me" and then "Miss Don't Touch Me Volume 2". Each runs about 96 pages. Then came "Miss Don't Touch Me, The Complete Story", which includes both of the earlier volumes. This is my review of "...The Complete Story", but I'm posting it on all three book sites as a warning to buyers to be careful.
This is a very interesting and rewarding graphic novel. It is well drawn, but more than just "pretty". It is well plotted, with a twisty noirish feel. And it is well written, with a good deal of sharp dialogue and some whip smart humor. And, given that most of the action takes place in a brothel and the heroine is a virgin/dominatrix, it is sexy without being prurient. Think of it as an erotic thriller but with a certain deadpan Gallic sense of humor and sang froid that complements the noir feel.
At the outset, (what would be Volume 1), we follow our heroine as she investigates the circumstances surrounding the murder of a prostitute and then of her own sister. This is what leads her to set up shop in the high class Pompadour brothel, as she suspects the bad guys are working out of there. The police are being less than diligent and so she must seek her own form of vengeance while surviving under cover in the brothel. Half the book covers this twisty and event filled story. Many suspects, a few allies, and lots of doublecrosses. And of course almost by definition every femme is a femme fatale.
Once that crime mystery is resolved we switch to what is basically a second story featuring Blanche, which involves blackmail, grifting, cons, a star-crossed romance, and an additional new set of characters. This second half is what came out as Volume 2. It is much less noirish and on its own it might be considered weaker. But, since it features Blanche and all of the characters we enjoyed in the first half it still succeeds in pulling the reader along.
Unlike some graphic novels, the covers for these books give you a good idea of the drawing style throughout the book. Lines are sharp and characters are remarkably expressive. There are a few panels that look a bit cartoony, (on purpose one suspects), but on the whole the drawing, coloring and lettering are sharp and stylish and consistent with the story and its setting and time frame.
This was a sophisticated and entertaining read and I was delighted to come across it. (Please note that I found this book while browsing the local library's Kindle books, and downloaded it for free. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
First some important housekeeping so that you aren't disapointed with what you buy. Blanche's story originally appeared in English in two volumes - "Miss Don't Touch Me" and then "Miss Don't Touch Me Volume 2". Each runs about 96 pages. Then came "Miss Don't Touch Me, The Complete Story", which includes both of the earlier volumes. This is my review of "...The Complete Story", but I'm posting it on all three book sites as a warning to buyers to be careful.
This is a very interesting and rewarding graphic novel. It is well drawn, but more than just "pretty". It is well plotted, with a twisty noirish feel. And it is well written, with a good deal of sharp dialogue and some whip smart humor. And, given that most of the action takes place in a brothel and the heroine is a virgin/dominatrix, it is sexy without being prurient. Think of it as an erotic thriller but with a certain deadpan Gallic sense of humor and sang froid that complements the noir feel.
At the outset, (what would be Volume 1), we follow our heroine as she investigates the circumstances surrounding the murder of a prostitute and then of her own sister. This is what leads her to set up shop in the high class Pompadour brothel, as she suspects the bad guys are working out of there. The police are being less than diligent and so she must seek her own form of vengeance while surviving under cover in the brothel. Half the book covers this twisty and event filled story. Many suspects, a few allies, and lots of doublecrosses. And of course almost by definition every femme is a femme fatale.
Once that crime mystery is resolved we switch to what is basically a second story featuring Blanche, which involves blackmail, grifting, cons, a star-crossed romance, and an additional new set of characters. This second half is what came out as Volume 2. It is much less noirish and on its own it might be considered weaker. But, since it features Blanche and all of the characters we enjoyed in the first half it still succeeds in pulling the reader along.
Unlike some graphic novels, the covers for these books give you a good idea of the drawing style throughout the book. Lines are sharp and characters are remarkably expressive. There are a few panels that look a bit cartoony, (on purpose one suspects), but on the whole the drawing, coloring and lettering are sharp and stylish and consistent with the story and its setting and time frame.
This was a sophisticated and entertaining read and I was delighted to come across it. (Please note that I found this book while browsing the local library's Kindle books, and downloaded it for free. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
May 5, 2025
Many years back, I used to post comic book reviews on a message forum, and when I joined GoodReads, I spent a day transferring all of them to this platform. (Lotsa copying/pasting!) The forum is long gone now, so I don't know if I just accidentally pasted my review for vol. 1 in the entry here for vol. 2 or I just got lazy and wrote a single review for both books! LOL
Anyway, vol. 2 is a very different story - Blanche is still working at the Pompadour, but only under duress. In true exploitive fashion, the Pompadour has been charging her for all her clothes and other items, so she actually OWES them money and can't just leave, but a wealthy aristocrat shows an interest in her and maybe there's an out for her. Oh, and her mother - who long ago abandoned her and has always looked out only for #1 - shows up again when a photo of Blanche and her aristocrat runs in the society pages.
Although vol. 1 is about murder and the evil in men's hearts, vol. 2 is in many ways even darker. At least we had heroes to root for in the first book. Here, everyone's screwed up. Blanche can't accept Antoine as he really is and leaves him to a terrible fate. Antoine exploits Blanche's emotions for his own callous attempt to anger his elitist mother. Blanche's mom is purely exploitive (and, perhaps because she's somewhat honest about who she is, winds up being the only person to end the book in a better place than where she started). It's a cynical book, but very well realized.
+++++++
When her best friend and colleague is murdered, a naive French maid in late 19th century Paris goes undercover in a brothel to ferret out the killer. "Miss Don't Touch Me" is the nickname given to
Blanche, our hero, a virgin who gets work as a dominatrix in the brothel. Blanche is a fun, if frustrating character, prone to jumping to conclusions since she's so naive and confused about the intentions of people who use sex as simply a tool of the trade.
The entire story is very lively and full of charming, complex characters. The cast of the brothel is a mixed bag of ladies with good hearts, women with something to hide, and mean-spirited femmes who aren't really that terrible in the end. The art is excellent, somewhat reminiscent of Chris Blaine. Lots of good, imaginative twists, and a fun story that touches on various kinky interests without delving into overt sex scenes. (It'd be R-rated for the nudity, but it doesn't drop in random hardcore imagery they way American independent comics will.) The creators even do a great job setting up Blanche's friend's murder, as I literally thought the friend was the lead character for the first fifteen pages.
Anyway, vol. 2 is a very different story - Blanche is still working at the Pompadour, but only under duress. In true exploitive fashion, the Pompadour has been charging her for all her clothes and other items, so she actually OWES them money and can't just leave, but a wealthy aristocrat shows an interest in her and maybe there's an out for her. Oh, and her mother - who long ago abandoned her and has always looked out only for #1 - shows up again when a photo of Blanche and her aristocrat runs in the society pages.
Although vol. 1 is about murder and the evil in men's hearts, vol. 2 is in many ways even darker. At least we had heroes to root for in the first book. Here, everyone's screwed up. Blanche can't accept Antoine as he really is and leaves him to a terrible fate. Antoine exploits Blanche's emotions for his own callous attempt to anger his elitist mother. Blanche's mom is purely exploitive (and, perhaps because she's somewhat honest about who she is, winds up being the only person to end the book in a better place than where she started). It's a cynical book, but very well realized.
+++++++
When her best friend and colleague is murdered, a naive French maid in late 19th century Paris goes undercover in a brothel to ferret out the killer. "Miss Don't Touch Me" is the nickname given to
Blanche, our hero, a virgin who gets work as a dominatrix in the brothel. Blanche is a fun, if frustrating character, prone to jumping to conclusions since she's so naive and confused about the intentions of people who use sex as simply a tool of the trade.
The entire story is very lively and full of charming, complex characters. The cast of the brothel is a mixed bag of ladies with good hearts, women with something to hide, and mean-spirited femmes who aren't really that terrible in the end. The art is excellent, somewhat reminiscent of Chris Blaine. Lots of good, imaginative twists, and a fun story that touches on various kinky interests without delving into overt sex scenes. (It'd be R-rated for the nudity, but it doesn't drop in random hardcore imagery they way American independent comics will.) The creators even do a great job setting up Blanche's friend's murder, as I literally thought the friend was the lead character for the first fifteen pages.
September 18, 2011
The wonderful creative team of Hubert and Kerascoet return for a sequel to their wonderful graphic novel "Miss Don't Touch Me". The story picks up right after the previous one where Miss is trying unsuccessfully to leave the brothel, before her mother arrives to visit and a wealthy young man falls for her. But all is not as it seems and the darker side of human nature and the intolerance of the early twentieth century both rear their ugly heads to thwart Miss' plans for a better life.
I thought that the introduction of her mother combined with a handsome young man would make this followup a bit too syrupy, but thankfully Hubert knows to keep things spicy and interesting so it wasn't the case. The story dips and turns, taking the reader on an enthralling ride through Paris in the early twentieth century, always caught up in our heroine's plight.
The artwork is as fabulous and colourful as the last book's. Kerascoet does a brilliant job of expressing his characters' emotions through subtle gestures and wild, almost anime style, features. In particular the scene where Miss is drugged is drawn so brilliantly that I knew exactly how it felt for her to suddenly go from sobriety to blackout drunkenness. Hubert colours the pages in this book as well and brings to life the dancing images of Kerascoet's.
A great read and a well written, well drawn comic book that deserves a wider audience. A must read for comics fans everywhere.
I thought that the introduction of her mother combined with a handsome young man would make this followup a bit too syrupy, but thankfully Hubert knows to keep things spicy and interesting so it wasn't the case. The story dips and turns, taking the reader on an enthralling ride through Paris in the early twentieth century, always caught up in our heroine's plight.
The artwork is as fabulous and colourful as the last book's. Kerascoet does a brilliant job of expressing his characters' emotions through subtle gestures and wild, almost anime style, features. In particular the scene where Miss is drugged is drawn so brilliantly that I knew exactly how it felt for her to suddenly go from sobriety to blackout drunkenness. Hubert colours the pages in this book as well and brings to life the dancing images of Kerascoet's.
A great read and a well written, well drawn comic book that deserves a wider audience. A must read for comics fans everywhere.
November 8, 2016
Though i really like the visuals of these 2 vols, the story-telling puts me off a little bit. I think it's the extremely cynical view of humans that it insists upon.
If you'll recall, i couldn't hold my tongue about the publisher's gaffe on the 1st vol's backcover: they said the title character's name was Florence when it's actually Blanche. Well, i have another quibble, and this time it's with an apparent character incongruity.
The mystery to be solved and the socio-cultural ideas being explored in vol 2 are somewhat more enjoyable for me than their vol 1 counterparts, though, which again has me on the fence between 3 and 4 stars.
If you'll recall, i couldn't hold my tongue about the publisher's gaffe on the 1st vol's backcover: they said the title character's name was Florence when it's actually Blanche. Well, i have another quibble, and this time it's with an apparent character incongruity.
The mystery to be solved and the socio-cultural ideas being explored in vol 2 are somewhat more enjoyable for me than their vol 1 counterparts, though, which again has me on the fence between 3 and 4 stars.
February 28, 2011
Summary: "Miss Don't Touch Me" embarks upon a new adventure. She's still being harassed by the girls, but now she has an admirer. She's fallen in love, but she has her reservations. She wishes that he would stop introducing her with what she really does. Plus, he never wants to touch her or kiss her. Plus, now her mother's back in the picture, taking her well-earned money.
Review: It wasn't as good as the first. The first one was the "triumph over evil" type. This one was more, "I'm hoping for Pretty Woman". It was overall much less effective. The main character kind of annoyed me, her boyfriend annoyed me more, and the ending, with the surgery, was bizarre. No, I'm not questioning that things like that happened, I'm more questioning how this piece of history made it into the book. It seemed like it was supposed to be a social commentary that didn't have a place.
Review: It wasn't as good as the first. The first one was the "triumph over evil" type. This one was more, "I'm hoping for Pretty Woman". It was overall much less effective. The main character kind of annoyed me, her boyfriend annoyed me more, and the ending, with the surgery, was bizarre. No, I'm not questioning that things like that happened, I'm more questioning how this piece of history made it into the book. It seemed like it was supposed to be a social commentary that didn't have a place.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2011
This sequel didn't have the hair-raising hijinks of the first novel, and instead centers on the emotional issues and social expectations of women & men in pre-20th century France. Miss Don't Touch Me is still at the French brothel and now wants to leave. Similar to American sharecroppers & mining companies at around the same time, though, the brothel charges exhorbant fees for necessary items so that employees are constantly paying off debts and can never leave.
The end of the book made me very sad, and the reading was all the more delicious because of that; the very last pages were cherry-toppings on the sad :) It seems as if there will be a sequel, from the way the author has set things up, but it's hard to tell. I hope so!
The end of the book made me very sad, and the reading was all the more delicious because of that; the very last pages were cherry-toppings on the sad :) It seems as if there will be a sequel, from the way the author has set things up, but it's hard to tell. I hope so!
April 30, 2018
What the hell was that ending???? I’m so bummed because although the tone was very different from volume one and it wasn’t another whodunit, I was still really enjoying this volume. The pacing was good and we got more from one of my favorite characters, Miss Jo, but the total trash ending ruined it for me. It wasn’t so much the lack of happy ending, it was Blanche’s attitude (about a certain turn of events) towards the end that made all sympathy I had for her troubled life dissipate. Enjoyed most the way through, but ultimately left disappointed.
July 14, 2012
A good follow-up to the first volume - better in some ways (it's a little less plot driven, and takes a little more time to explore the characters). Set in a Parisian brothel, but this isn't soft Europorn as I had thought it might be. It has something of a social conscience, and - like the first volume - while much of it reads like an adventure romp it still retains a steely edge to keep you anchored.
June 8, 2015
This tale meanders a bit co pared to the first. I was surprised to see Blanche stay in the brothel, but it led to a lovely and sad tale about the perception of sexuality in early 1900s. The storyline with the mother was odd, had good points and bad. But again, the depth of Blanche's resolve to overcome is wonderfully portrayed.
January 23, 2016
What an odd discovery this series turned out to be... lovely and disturbing and surprising. I read the first one quickly, and was so enamored of it, I travelled a fair bit to purchase the second one at one of the only stores in my area that happened to have it. The illustrations are so sleek and expressive.
December 17, 2011
Blanche finds her knight in shining armor to take her away from the brothel she entered in Vol. 1 to find the person that murdered her sister. However, things unravel very quickly and Blanche finds herself in danger again.
April 12, 2021
A follow-up to the original story, in which the main character finds a potential ally and attempts to leave her job as a dominatrice at a brothel. Stunningly told with many twists and turns to the tale, and a devastating ending.
July 21, 2016
I'm really sad with how this ended but what is to be expected from Hubert & Kerascoet? Happy endings aren't really their thing. I still really loved the story and the characters made me feel so much angry and sadness. Great storytelling and art.
January 3, 2018
The end of this volume (and apparently the series) was disappointing to say the least. I can kind of see where they were coming from with the ending, but it was tonally jarring from what had previously been established. Due to spoilers, I don't want to say much more than that.
April 27, 2011
This French comic maintains a light, comedic tone while dealing with heavy violence, forced prostitution, and a lobotomy as an attempt to cure homosexuality. At times it really works.
July 17, 2013
not the thriller vol. 1 was, but a very well-stitched story. so. french.
February 19, 2015
Poor Blanche ._.
July 15, 2017
Further adventures of Blanche, as she tries to leave the brothel and ends up with a man who isn't everything he claims to be. Reallllly depressing ending.
August 16, 2019
a tragic and sad story
June 7, 2022
Excellent finish with impressive character depth and a well-orchestrated surprise!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews