celeste by inj culbard

Craving a little sci-fi with your we all die alone ennui? I.N.J Culbard's intense depiction of the human condition post-event (although we're not certain that said event actually happened, or what said event may have been) is just the thing. Culbard tells his tale in three parallel narratives, featuring three lonely people: a young girl living with albinism in London, a Japanese comic artist on the brink of taking his own life, and an uptight man stuck in LA gridlock who has just received a mysterious interrupted phone call concerning his wife. The story itself is interesting enough, but what sets Celeste apart is Culbard's phenomenal, one might even say stellar, artwork: a mix of masterful single, multiple, and otherwise mixed-up panels that provide depth for his characters in a way that words never do. While some readers might find the open ending frustrating, I was delighted by the ambiguity and appreciated the opportunity for imaginative interpretation throughout the work. Give it to fans of Jeff Lemire's Trillium. Grade 11 +