Blacksad

Blacksad emerged onto the international scene in the early 2000's. The two Spanish writers created a world of all colors and creeds living together, a city filled with anthropomorphic animals going about their lives like us humans do. Predator or prey, each character is defined by the animal they are as well as their appearance.

Like Maus, there are particular animal stereotypes taken into account when portraying characters. For example, most police officers are played by dogs (ironic for Blacksad).

Staged as a 50's American Noir, Blacksad is a cat detective who leads most of the major crime investigations happening in his metropolitan home city.

What I love about Blacksad's artwork is how it reflects a dirty, realistic outlook on his world with  relatively clean, realistic lines as well as detailed drawings of real-life cities and locations.

I even enjoy how the artists' style has evolved during the span of Blacksad's running. Their most recent issue, Amarillo is saturated with sharp, higher-quality colors and far less grain.

I love the concept and the execution of the artwork. It pulls me in and gives me a unique interest in the characters that I otherwise wouldn't if they weren't depicted in their animal forms. Blacksad is a favorite of mine.