What the press says about LA BRIGADE CHIMERIQUE omnibus edition

"La Brigade Chimérique: an epitaph on European heroes

Why did Superman and Batman never exist in Europe? Why was there a real gap in French science fiction fantasy between Jules Verne and Barjavel? The science fiction author Serge Lehman and his acolytes suggest a fascinating answer to this question.

[…]

La Brigade Chimérique carries in itself the solution to its own enigma: Can Europe and France in particular produce super-heroes and modern myths once more? The answer is yes. The French equivalent of Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, La Brigade follows the same principle in the way it reuses historical or literary characters. It is a game of mirrors, which is sometimes challenging for the reader - part Lehman’s obsessions, part a reworking of European history and part pure comic adventure.

The narrative is very sound, clues being left in the episodes and reaching a finale of shattering revelations. Gess’s panels are admirably coloured by Céline Bessoneau. This integral edition manages to overcome the one defect in the work: a tendency to name-drop, which sometimes becomes pedantic. The “bonus tracks” here on the other hand throw light on the origins of the work and the frequent literary and historical references which punctuate it.

A graphic book that has become a cult reference work for the enlightened few since its first publication in 2009, it has been adapted into a roleplaying game and more recently a diversification – more anecdotal – through Masqué, a graphic book by the very same Serge Lehman. This complete edition is the perfect Christmas present for any lover of graphic books, science fiction or contemporary history. That’s quite a few people in fact."

Laurent Suply, Le Figaro