Crenshaw's Books & Decks

This is a short but very intriguing wordless novel. I did not read the summary of what is supposed to be. I saw a few pages of the comic book and found them intriguing enough to buy it. 

I am glad that I didn't read anything because this is one of those books that has many possible readings. I 'read' the book several times and I came with two different stories that fit perfectly the imagery. It could be a criticism, but it is not. Anything that feeds my imagination in this way gets a clear wow from me.

 

The book has a glorious black and white in general, it is very minimalist and stylised, with and a clever use of the white space to create mood. The atmosphere is heavy and ominous, and there is tension in the air from the very cover of the book. All the characters are thin and edgy, not even the shining sun is friendly. Kane, the main character, is a also very intriguing character. He is a mix of modern Quixote, 18th-century Japanese farmer and folk monster. The ominous presence of the black sun, the sun-like aspect of the black eyes at times, makes both things indistinguishable at times, as if they were one and only, and even more intrigue. 

The 'official' story reminds me of the folk story around which the mystery of the Japanese manga series "Monster" revolves. You can see the animated tale in full, in English, here: The Nameless Monster.

I think Black Eyes would make a terrific short film.

Claire Connelly is a young British (?) freelance graphic artist, and this book is a self-edition. Well done. I really love it.