Blutch’s Peplum is a comic I was recommended by a fellow redditor (u/LondonFroggy) as one of his ten favorite comics of all time, and I can definitely see why. Like a lot of the comics I like, this one uses the graphic medium to expand the narrative in ways others couldn’t. It centers mostly around the art, which is very expressive and action-focused, thus reducing the amount of text that remains on the page. Paradoxically, the little test that exists is written in a very archaic and Shakespeare-reminiscent language that’s much more grandiose than the story being told.
The story is set in roman times, jumping from the assassination of Julius Caesar in the first chapter to the adventures and misfortunes of Publius Cimber, the only survivor of a group of bandits who discover a marvelous statue.
From then the story jumps from place to place and action to action, focusing on the moments the author wanted to draw and leaving the rest up to the reader. By doing so, the comic has a grand sense of authorial voice, something I really appreciate and not many authors can pull off without feeling preachy or out-of-place.
Blutch’s art is good, especially at expressing emotions. It is centered around the action and the feeling rather than aesthetic beauty, which doesn’t mean it’s not incredible and far above the average comic art. It’s also scratchy and dark, a choice that is very much up my alley and combines really well with the idea behind the story.
The downsides to having this dark, experimental, and almost dream-like story is that there’s not much character or plot driving the story. This is a comic driven by its art and the idea behind it, something that’s very hard to convey in a review. This won’t be to everyone’s appeal, but for those looking for something more abstract and unconventional, it may very well become one of their favorite comics ever.
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