Want to read a whodunnit that is witty, visually attractive, and pokes fun at itself? The Paper People, newly released by IDW’s EuroComics is just that.
The Paper People is set in France. The story is that a young man, visualizing himself as a Humphrey Bogart-type private eye, has finally landed a case. His girlfriend will be so proud of him! So, off goes Jerome in a journey to solve a mystery. When he hops off the train and looks into the assignment, it appears to be a confusing mess, The man who hired him has disappeared, and people are trying to tell him to forget about the case and return home. Suddenly, things start to happen that make Jerome want to stick around. It appears there is an honest-to-goodness caper going on here!
Interspersed in the midst of all the snooping and lying, are fun little scenarios. One trope that the creative team have a lot of fun with is the French penchant for smoking. Time after time, cigarettes and cigars wander into our scenes, sneakily, like a little motif. There are more, many more layers of interest and amusement in this volume, making it one that I highly recommend. Not just for the story, but for the high quality of the carefully rendered art; well drawn and with constant attention to how each figure in a panel helps to tell the story.
This being Volume 2, I must look around for Volume 1!
IDW EuroComics, Jerome K. Jerome Bloche, Volume 2: The Paper People, $14.99 for 54 pages, Not rated, assume Teen
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