On sale date: October 18, 2014
The story of a mysterious and deadly master-villain, told in vibrant watercolors, plus additional short picture stories to amuse and confuse.
The latest book from the author of The Hidden and Delphine contains the epic tale of a modern master-criminal — a graphic novella, comprising 115 of the book's 136 pages. Following in the bloody footsteps of super-fiends such as Fantomas, Fu Manchu, or Professor Moriarty, Super-Enigmatix is ruthless, cunning, and thoroughly evil. His only goal is to spread fear and cause chaos — but does he want to destroy civilization, or save it? Not even his loyal army of female commandos can guess his real motives, or his true identity. The fast-moving "picture story" is told with sly humor and all the mayhem is depicted in Sala's trademark colorful watercolor washes and sharp, detailed line-work. Also included in this collection are three shorter stories, appearing in print for the first time, from Richard Sala's archive of strange and offbeat tales!
Praise
"Sala’s distinctive visual style — simple yet vivid line drawings complemented here with airy watercolors — sets a fitting tone for this outlandish story, somehow evoking a genuinely creepy atmosphere despite their intrinsic cartoonishness. Pulpy fun that quaintly evokes bygone sagas of epic criminal masterminds like Fantômas and Fu Manchu, but with a slyly modern bent." — Booklist
"...[D]eliciously over-the-top... Sala both gleefully pushes genre conventions to their breaking point and calls them out... Sala never allows for a dull moment... plenty of pulpy fun..." — Lauren Davis - io9
"Richard Sala remains today’s premiere master of mirthful macabre, the true heir of Charles Addams and Edward Gorey, with the line work of Chester Gould. His latest, from Fantagraphics, is a 115-page opus about a master criminal named Super-Enigmatix (did I mention no one this side of Ian Fleming can name characters as well as Sala?). It’s chock full of the stuff longtime fans adore — luscious watercolors, gun-toting warrior women, and enough plot to fuel a dozen film noir thrillers. In a Glass Grotesquely also contains three bonus short stories from the master. Read it, and then tell your friends about Sala. He deserves a much wider audience." — Joseph McCabe - Nerdist
"Sala has created a niche for himself with a series of entertaining and stylish books of post-modern pulp. He combines a genuine and deep love of popular culture, with a critical, ironic, and politically liberal twist. It’s an enjoyable romp!" — Slings & Arrows
"I have been a fan of Sala’s visual style and entertaining mystery romps for a long time... His work feels both vintage and fresh, a nod to its influences while managing to stand on its own. His work is instantly recognizable as his, perhaps the greatest benchmark of an artist." — Ryan W. Bradley - Electric Lit
Specs
- Pages
- 136
- Format
- Paperback / Softback
- Color
- Full-color
- Dimensions
- 7.1" × 7"
- ISBN-13
- 9781606997970