FLOC'H, FROMENTAL (Jean-Luc) & BOCQUET (José-Louis). The - Lot 252

FLOC'H, FROMENTAL (Jean-Luc) & BOCQUET (José-Louis). The Art of War. Published by Blake & Mortimer / Studio Jacobs (Dargaud-Lombard), First edition, completed in September 2023. Large format hardback, printed and bound in France by PPO Graphic. ISBN : 978-2-8709-7301-1. With The Art of War, Blake and Mortimer leave Europe for a plot set in New York, in a tense yet elegant Cold War atmosphere. The album immediately stands out for its graphic treatment: Floc'h adopts a modernized clear line, very much inspired by American graphic design and illustration of the 1950s, giving the album a strong, refined visual identity. The script, by Fromental and Bocquet, plays on the codes of intelligence, strategic manipulation and double-dealing, in direct echo of Sun Tzu's eponymous military treatise. The plot is dense and cerebral, constructed like a game of chess where every move has consequences. Blake and Mortimer evolve in a stylized urban world, where the threat is less spectacular than muted, but omnipresent. This album is a highly accomplished variation on Jacobs' universe, with a bold graphic reinterpretation that deeply respects the spirit of the series. It will appeal to Blake and Mortimer fans as much as to collectors who appreciate albums that stand apart from the rest, with their assertive style and mature narrative.