A critical evaluation of Renée by Ludovic Debeurme.
Readers need to buckle up and strap on their helmets, because this book is going to take you on an emotional ride and it’s going to get uncomfortable. Renée should be applauded for getting so many things right in a medium that is honestly either misunderstood or under-appreciated. Who says comics can’t look fresh and tug at your heartstrings in a disturbing way? There are a lot of ideas floating around in Renée, so maybe it’s best to focus on the ones which work best (or I should say the ones that I understand).
Unconventional to say the least, Renée is a book about love, and people who yearn for it. Not only that, it’s also how love can make us miserable and tear us apart either because of our own decisions or through no fault of our own. Many nonlinear stories are being told in Renée which eventually intersect. The protagonists, absolutely heartbroken and desperate, must find some light at the end of the tunnel to keep them going. Heavy adult stuff, right?
Equally as impressive is Ludovic Debeurme’s art which is not just smooth and polished, but also creepy and disturbing at the same time. Debeurme tells this story with non-panelled scenes, choosing to tell us where to focus our attention, and taking us back and forth between reality and a fantasy dreamland. When Renée gets real, it gets intensely so and commands attention. A victory for the medium!
For more Information:
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/ludovic-debeurme
Book:
Renée is out now. Buy it here on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Renee-Ludovic-Debeurme/dp/1603093044/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461165962&sr=8-1&keywords=LUDOVIC+DEBEURME+-+Renee
