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A review by ederwin
Aama, Vol. 1: The Smell of Warm Dust by Edward Gauvin, Frederik Peeters
4.0
All 4 volumes tell one single story which I read straight through (in the English translation), so I'll comment on the whole thing at once. (No spoilers).
The artwork is very clear and beautiful. The drawings of the future city and it's inhabitants are quite nice, and who wouldn't like a cigar-smoking robot ape. But the real stunner for me is the freaky, hallucinatory landscapes and creatures on the strange planet. The creatures are truly alien-looking and imaginative, reminding me of the animated French films Fantastic Planet and Time Masters. (This aspect is most pronounced in volumes 2 and 3.)
The story is told in multiple levels of flashbacks, and even in dreams. And yet it was easy to follow which time period you were in at all times. That was masterful. That doesn't mean I understood everything. I don't think you are supposed to.
In interviews, the author/artist cites as top inspirations [a:Ray Bradbury|1630|Ray Bradbury|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1445955959p2/1630.jpg] and [a:Stanislaw Lem|15179291|Stanislaw Lem|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], and those influences seem clear. As in their work, the story takes precedence over issues of absolute scientific plausibility. I will never be able to accept the plausibility of microscopic machines that can manipulate reality at a molecular level, at least not to the extent displayed here.
The final volume was a bit disappointing to me. It does tie the story together in a logical way -- though I had to re-read volumes 1 to 3 to see that -- but it was just a bit more of an action story, almost a superhero story, than the rest, and felt like a let-down.
I very much look forward to reading more from this author/artist.
The artwork is very clear and beautiful. The drawings of the future city and it's inhabitants are quite nice, and who wouldn't like a cigar-smoking robot ape. But the real stunner for me is the freaky, hallucinatory landscapes and creatures on the strange planet. The creatures are truly alien-looking and imaginative, reminding me of the animated French films Fantastic Planet and Time Masters. (This aspect is most pronounced in volumes 2 and 3.)
The story is told in multiple levels of flashbacks, and even in dreams. And yet it was easy to follow which time period you were in at all times. That was masterful. That doesn't mean I understood everything. I don't think you are supposed to.
In interviews, the author/artist cites as top inspirations [a:Ray Bradbury|1630|Ray Bradbury|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1445955959p2/1630.jpg] and [a:Stanislaw Lem|15179291|Stanislaw Lem|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], and those influences seem clear. As in their work, the story takes precedence over issues of absolute scientific plausibility. I will never be able to accept the plausibility of microscopic machines that can manipulate reality at a molecular level, at least not to the extent displayed here.
The final volume was a bit disappointing to me. It does tie the story together in a logical way -- though I had to re-read volumes 1 to 3 to see that -- but it was just a bit more of an action story, almost a superhero story, than the rest, and felt like a let-down.
I very much look forward to reading more from this author/artist.