New Graphic Novels from Germany

This book is the result of an international research project which, at the initiative of Canadian history professor Charlotte Schallié,...

This book is the result of an international research project which, at the initiative of Canadian history professor Charlotte Schallié, aimed to convey history to young people in a vivid way. Working from interviews, two comic artists, Miriam Libicki and Barbara Yelin, from Canada and Germany respectively, as well as the Israeli illustrator Gilad Seliktar, have produced graphic adaptations of three eyewitness accounts by people who, as children, survived the Holocaust. The harrowing accounts, each of which is presented in a different graphical way by the different artists, movingly illustrate the unspeakable events. This is accompanied by an extensive secondary section in which experts provide historical context to supplement the reconstruction of the memories.

"Firebugs" tells the story of a trans couple who become increasingly estranged. Lily is at peace with herself, while Ingken...

"Firebugs" tells the story of a trans couple who become increasingly estranged. Lily is at peace with herself, while Ingken is searching for an identity and a new name. Bulling deals with themes such as identity, love and partnership, as well as the psychological impacts of climate catastrophe and social erosion. The angry-sounding title contrasts with the book’s hesitant and poetic content. Bulling conveys Ingken's sustained discomfort in a differentiated and sensitive way, without destroying the hope for a better life. The brilliant use of the red (for panel outlines, motion lines and sounds) ensures visual coherence in an innovative way. With this personal work, Bulling has nade an important contribution to queer comic literature. Sketches from "Firebugs" were presented as large ink paintings on silk fabrics at documenta fifteen (2022).

Since autumn 2020, ZEIT Online has been publishing the continuation of Marc-Uwe Kling's bestselling series The Kangaroo Chronicles, as a...

Since autumn 2020, ZEIT Online has been publishing the continuation of Marc-Uwe Kling's bestselling series The Kangaroo Chronicles, as a comic strip. It recounts the bizarre experiences of a small-time artist in Berlin and the communist kangaroo who lives with him. Six times a week, Bernd Kissel, from Saarland, neatly illustrates the day’s gags. More than 550 episodes of the funny comic strips have now been published. This anthology brings together those from the first year. Recurring funny secondary characters, a host of running gags played to their extreme, and the regular breaking of the fourth wall make for a great read. Sometimes silly, sometimes critical, the author and the kangaroo comment on the absurd world of everyday life or the political events of the day, making you smile or think, depending on the situation.

Jens Harder (born in 1970) has been working on his monumental, multi-volume work for almost twenty years. It sets out...

Jens Harder (born in 1970) has been working on his monumental, multi-volume work for almost twenty years. It sets out to tell no less than the entire history of mankind and the universe, from the Big Bang to the distant future beyond. What you might call the most ambitious comic in the world is difficult to pin down in a single category. A visually powerful non-fiction book or fantasy picture book, this, the third volume of Harder's grand narrative, covers the last 2,000 years of human history. In a breathtaking flight through the centuries, Harder condenses the most diverse events in his typical, associative way and quotes countless references from science, art, religion and pop culture. The whole thing comes together to form a gigantic, page-turning collage.

When his 16-year-old neighbour leaves for a year abroad, nine-year-old Boris temporarily inherits her pet. Babette is a strange yellow...

When his 16-year-old neighbour leaves for a year abroad, nine-year-old Boris temporarily inherits her pet. Babette is a strange yellow animal, of unknown origin, that walks on two legs, can talk and only feels comfortable when the room is decorated as darkly and creepily as possible. The whole thing is even more complicated because Boris must keep Babette's presence a secret from his parents, who don’t want any animals in the house. In her uniquely funny drawing style, Tanja Esch tells an original and comical story about friendship and belonging, weaving in motifs of identity and diversity as a matter of course.  

It has been three years since Tamasaburo – aka Kim Liersch – published the final volume of her adventure series...

It has been three years since Tamasaburo – aka Kim Liersch – published the final volume of her adventure series "The Liberi Project". Now we have her latest work, which is set in a fantasy world, where it is the task of the Charons – masked figures with special abilities – to guide people safely through the Acheron, a rift in space that harbours numerous dangers. One of those Charons is Number 78, a taciturn protagonist whose special gift is the ability to see through illusions. The opening volume takes us on various assignments with Number 78, and we gradually discover the things that make this place a world of fantasy. It is the authentic dialogue and the meticulously designed characters that make Tamasaburo's work convincing.

We find ourselves in provincial western Germany at the end of the 1990s. Young Hamed has to chart a course...

We find ourselves in provincial western Germany at the end of the 1990s. Young Hamed has to chart a course between his first wild experiences with drugs and sex, between skating, drawing and listening to music, school and rival gangs, and the boredom of everyday life. In the process, he is confronted at home with the painful experiences of his father, a refugee from Iran who cannot cope with his life in Germany. With great sensitivity, Eshrat weaves together an array of experiences and different time fames to produce a dense narrative. He elegantly exploits the formal language of comics and changes the colour atmosphere and layout to suit the situation. In this, his most personal narrative to date, the author shows us how he became who he is today.  

Atlantis Verlag has been publishing the biannual comic anthology COZMIC since 2019. Each issue, produced as a hardcover, contains around...

Atlantis Verlag has been publishing the biannual comic anthology COZMIC since 2019. Each issue, produced as a hardcover, contains around 100 colour pages of short or serialised fantasy stories, mainly by German-speaking illustrators, aimed at an adult readership. The broad narrative spectrum as well as the stylistic diversity are part of the concept, which is reminiscent of the French Métal Hurlant. The stories, sometimes dark, sometimes twisted, sometimes gripping, sometimes thought-provoking, are convincing thanks to their artwork and narrative depth. Each issue also has a secondary literary focus. With COZMIC, Rene Moreau (editor of the important German SF magazine Exodus) and co-editor Michael Vogt have created a promising interface between the “ninth art” and fantasy.

In the summer of 1977 near to Bonn, a young woman, a sympathiser with the Red Army Faction, dies in...

In the summer of 1977 near to Bonn, a young woman, a sympathiser with the Red Army Faction, dies in a hit-and-run car accident. Mr Martin, a forensics expert who happened to witness the event, notices some strange apects to the subsequent investigation. He sets out to find the person responsible, while elsewhere efforts are being made to hide the truth as far as possible. Martin, who is plagued by memories of his time as a soldier in the Wehrmacht, has to deal with questions of guilt, responsibility and the value of a human life. Piece by piece, Jennifer Daniel's clever thriller builds up a complex picture of post-war German society, one that reflects the generational and social conflicts of the time. Sparse dialogue leaves room for interpretation and creates many a moment of suspense. Daniel's painterly illustration style and her warm colour palette skilfully capture the spirit of the late 70s.

After "Spirou in Berlin", Flix (alias Felix Görmann) from Berlin was once again given the honour of transposing a character...

After "Spirou in Berlin", Flix (alias Felix Görmann) from Berlin was once again given the honour of transposing a character from the Franquin universe to a modern adventure. In Flix's version, the discoverer of the Marsupilami is none other than Alexander von Humboldt, but the Marsupilami wakes up only in 1931 in a wintery Berlin, having slept through the years in a box in the Museum of Natural History. There it befriends the young Mimmi, who lives with her single mother in poor circumstances. Mimmi sets off with the quick-witted marsupial in search of its eggs. Flix has risen masterfully to the challenge of maintaining the authenticity of the iconic and fabulous creature of Franco-Belgian comics, while adding a new perspective through his own narrative and style. The result is magical reading fun for all ages.

Bestselling German author Sebastian Fitzek is a notorious favourite with the public. Now, for the first time, one of his...

Bestselling German author Sebastian Fitzek is a notorious favourite with the public. Now, for the first time, one of his thrillers has been lavishly adapted as a comic. "The Eye Collector" (2010) is about a Berlin serial killer who kills women, kidnaps their children and gives the fathers a 45-hour ultimatum to find them alive. A washed-up ex-cop sets out, together with a blind psychotherapist, to track down the killer. In terms of plot, it is a classic crime novel with horror elements. Frank Schmolke, however, takes it to a higher level with his expressive images and fast-paced layout. His gloomy colouring contributes significantly to the bleak atmosphere. The skilful use of light and shadow underscore many a moment of shock.

In this, her debut graphic novel, the successful Berlin-based illustrator Bianca Schaalburg (born in 1968) researches her own family history....

In this, her debut graphic novel, the successful Berlin-based illustrator Bianca Schaalburg (born in 1968) researches her own family history. The starting point is the uncomfortable question of how far her relatives were Nazi members, fellow-travellers or even culprits. At different time periods, cleverly distinguished using different colour shades, the author deals with historical events that take place against the background of her family cosmos. Besides her mother’s and her grandmother’s stories, Schaalburg also depicts herself pursuing her research in the present. She condenses this detailed research into a complex narrative about silence, lies and repression. For this graphic and narrative "Stolperstein" (artistic-historical stumbling block), she was awarded the German Youth Literature Prize 2022 in the non-fiction category.

For his debut comic, Philip Deines takes a look at the Swedish painter Hilma af Klint (1862 - 1944), a...

For his debut comic, Philip Deines takes a look at the Swedish painter Hilma af Klint (1862 - 1944), a pioneer of abstract painting who only rose to global fame following her rediscovery decades after her death. The life and work of this artist, whose main concern was a deeper understanding of the world and human existence, are told in five chapters. Deines uses graphical tools for an ingenious, visual means of tracing af Klint's escape from the representational world. At the outset, his ligne claire drawings are calm and clearly structured, but as the book progresses they burst from more and more often the pictorial frame. For the vivid depiction of her creative process, the author has drawn inspiration from af Klint's cosmos of colour and form. In bright colours and elaborately drawn, partly double-page graphics, Deines provides deep insights into the inner world of this spiritual painter.

In his fifth comic, Austrian artist Franz Suess ("Paul Zwei") tells a gently paced story about marginalised characters and their...

In his fifth comic, Austrian artist Franz Suess ("Paul Zwei") tells a gently paced story about marginalised characters and their relationships. All the characters are loosely linked by the plot and in each of the four episodes we get a brief and fascinating insight into their eccentric lives. The story begins with a burglary and ends with a theft. With a few exceptions, the pages of the square-format book are divided into four panels of equal size. Many sequences work well without text, as the pictures impress us, on the one hand, with the intensity of their colouring, which appears simultaneously luminous and gloomy and, on the other hand, with the strange aesthetics of the figures, whose proportions make them appear almost childlike.

The qualified art therapist, Charlotte Müller (born in 1972), worked for many years as a carer in a home for...

The qualified art therapist, Charlotte Müller (born in 1972), worked for many years as a carer in a home for the elderly. On many occasions she was entrusted with memories, which she collected lovingly and transferred to poetically to paper to save them from disappearing. These sensitively recorded short stories are like windows into the past of a wide variety of people, all of them approaching the ends of their lives. Müller delicately reproduces the furnishings of the living rooms and colourfully captures everyday objects and fragments of memory that hold special significance for the respective individuals. She leaves narratives and dialogues unchanged in their authenticity. The result is an impressive, deeply human book that portrays old people in all their dignity.

Two veterans of science fiction have joined forces here for an ingenious series of comics. Since 2011, in the German...

Two veterans of science fiction have joined forces here for an ingenious series of comics. Since 2011, in the German genre magazine "Phantastisch!", author Olaf Brill ("Perry Rhodan") and illustrator Michael Vogt ("Mark Brandis") have been publishing one or two-page episodes about the bizarre daily life of a robot who does all kinds of work in a space factory, managed by a toad. The robot longs to have a wife and a home to return to each evening. In the very detailed and lovingly illustrated universe, narrative frames are regularly broken, paradoxes illuminated and philosophical questions raised. Brilliantly drawn and told in a manner that ranges from profound to silly, the stories evoke memories of the French cult magazine Métal Hurlant.  

In this, her debut comic, Roya Soraya takes on the heavyweight of all German literary classics, setting it unceremoniously in...

In this, her debut comic, Roya Soraya takes on the heavyweight of all German literary classics, setting it unceremoniously in the present time: Faust is a depressed businessman, Margarete a strong young woman and Mephistopheles shows up in a different (gender) role each time. The drawings are refreshingly colourful, the layout airy and insofar as it follows the original, the dialogue surprises the reader with some passages of parody. An entertaining deconstruction of a classic, which Soraya skilfully and confidently adapts to include her modern queer-feminist perspective.

"Swimming Pool" is a lively comedy that plays with many clichés and presents various culture clashes with relish. Taking a...

"Swimming Pool" is a lively comedy that plays with many clichés and presents various culture clashes with relish. Taking a women-only outdoor swimming pool as a microcosm, it shows how the formation of groups can create dynamics that escalate into conflict situations. Everyone mixes together in the open-air pool: women bathing topless or those in full-body swim-suits; the young and beautiful, the old and fat. Each uses the open space according to her own rules. When a group of fully veiled Muslim women discover the bath for themselves, it drives the long-established users up the wall. And when a man is asked to take up the job of pool attendant, things get out of hand. This comic was produced parallel to the screenplay of Doris Dörrie's film of the same name, which Paulina Stulin has transposed skilfully with rich colours, expressive facial expressions and accurate dialogue.

In this investigative comic, Anna Geselle discusses, among other things, the question of why female anger has no place in...

In this investigative comic, Anna Geselle discusses, among other things, the question of why female anger has no place in society. Successfully blending information and entertainment, she presents a kind of cultural history of female anger. In clearly structured chapters, she addresses scientific theories on the subject and adds levity to her informative texts by introducing comic passages whose colloquial tone provides an amusing contrast. Here we find parallels to the comics of Liv Strömquist. Geselle executes her drawings seemingly intuitively, with rapid strokes, predominantly in black and white. With this feminist comic, she makes an interesting contribution to the current debate on gender-specific role models.

A strange metamorphosis takes place at the start: the author merges with her dog, becoming a four-legged creature herself. In...

A strange metamorphosis takes place at the start: the author merges with her dog, becoming a four-legged creature herself. In this guise, she sets out to explore the city of Berlin from a canine perspective, from below: a metropolis with all its smells, sounds and stories, its strange places and situations. The walk through the city also follows the seasons. Nadia Budde intersperses the story with dream sequences and portraits of other dogs. In her unmistakable language and drawing style, the award-winning, Berlin-based children's book author and illustrator ("Eins, zwei, drei, Tier") has produced a wonderfully poetic declaration of love, both for Berlin and for the dogs that live there.