It seems so long ago that I was first asked to review IDW’s Star Wars Adventures. I came to the issue with very little in the way of expectations, not really knowing what I could find. Opening it up, I was immediately drawn into a Clone Wars era story that made my jaw drop: The artwork blew me away. It had the feel of a classic comic with added flair and something special that just set it apart. Without even having to look it up, I can see Padme and Threepio, the theatre they were performing at, the walking down of corridors. These images, even now, have stayed with me. It was with that first story that I became a fan of Elsa Charretier. Everything she has done since I have loved, from her continued work in Adventures, to her crossing over into Marvel Star Wars with Doctor Aphra. I even went to a comic convention in Shrewsbury last year on the sheer weight that her and her writing partner in crime (Pierrick Colinet) would be there. So, when Charretier announced towards the end of last year that she would be doing a Kickstarter for a book about her work, I signed right up! Of course, the Kickstarter was a success and so began the patient waiting for the book to be made and shipped. This week, that wait came to an end.
Before I delve into this book (and everything else that came with the package), I should mention the pledge level I took. Although I would have loved to go with a higher pledge, with Christmas right around the corner and my two-year-old daughter whispering to me all about Paw Patrol, I knew I had to limit myself somewhat! So, I opted for the €65 pledge that came with a gold foil print and inked sketch. There were other pledges that included a commentary copy of November (this was the route that our Literature Editor Steve took). There were several stretch goals that also came as these were unlocked during the campaign.
So, what arrived this week? Well, I can’t even start with the book because what came through my door can only be described as a labour of love. Everything, and I mean everything, shows thought, care and a gratitude to Charretier’s fans. The entire package comes in a plastic bag that has “Elsa Charretier Volume 1” on, with lines ended with a pen. It is literally a shipping bag and yet just this detail made it an effort just to open it. It’s so well designed in its simplicity that you feel bad having to damage it in any way! Thankfully, I overcame this quite quickly.
Inside, there are several items other than the book. The first is a letter from Charretier herself thanking you for backing her book. There is a gold card which can be exchanged for a free gift, should you meet Elsa at a convention in the future. Also, inside is a bookmark and sticker, both which look very cool. This is all in a purple envelope that follows on from the design of the shipping bag. It’s a lovely, personal touch that was never mentioned on the Kickstarter. It shows exactly the kind of person Charretier is. The next two items were part of the Kickstarter campaign. The first is a gold foil print based on her Angel City cover. The second, is a poster collaboration with Francesco Francavilla. One side is colour, the other black and white, called The Martian Job. In my previous articles, I’ve mentioned before how much I love old sci-if, dating back to Dan Dare and the BBC radio dramas of Journey into Space. This poster harks back to those times and I adore it! The style, the colour, the design is incredible and to get this as a stretch goal just floors me. To say I was already impressed was a bit of an understatement, and I hadn’t even gotten to the thing I’d actually backed: the book!
The book opens with the sketch, that came part of the Kickstarter. I love that I own an actual piece drawn by Charretier, it makes that book just that bit different. The page itself is on slightly thinner paper to allow Charretier to actual use it for sketching, a small detail that I love. The sketch is also signed. This is followed by a foreword where we get a glimpse into the brief history behind Charretier’s career and how the book came about. This is set opposite a very impressive image of Ashoka. The book is then split into four sections: commissions, November, Star Wars and covers.
The first section, covers, is worth the price of admission alone. These images are spectacular. The paper and print quality allow you to see everything, in all its glory. There are bits and pieces here from everywhere, from Star Wars, to Spider-Man, to DC. The Luke Skywalker on Tatooine shows just what a talent Charretier is when it comes to Star Wars. However, for me, this was not the highlight of this section. I do love Batman (and if you’re like me you may have just backed a certain game from IDW ready for next year!) and the images of the Batman here are some of the very best I’ve seen. The black and white images sum up the dark knight perfectly. Charretier uses shadow perfectly and it’s very much about what you can’t see as opposed to what you can. I’m pretty sure I’m going to find I have a dent in the book at pages twelve and thirteen, as I keep looking again and again. I’m talking a lot about the art, that’s not to say Charretier doesn’t put writing in, as there is some, talking about the process of creating pieces. This is at a minimal, and I for one am glad it is. I don’t mean that I don’t want to hear what Charretier has to say, but this is an art book and what I really want is to see her art. Some books have a rather poor ratio between pieces and writing, but Charretier walks this fine line with ease, giving the reader enough information but not at the detriment to the amount of artwork.
The second section is about the comic November, which Charretier co created. Here we are introduced to character and how the design of characters and pages is tackled. It’s a lot more detailed than the first section, but this somehow seems right. We get to see the thought process that goes through Charretier’s mind, and what makes her art so unique. Reading this section, I did feel a slight pang that I hadn’t gone for the higher pledge, it may not be Star Wars, but my goodness does it look good! I imagine this might be a gateway for many fans into November.
Of course, the section that you probably want to know most about is the third section, Star Wars. This section has a lot of images from the Doctor Aphra Annual, which i thought was superb, before going into a huge amount of detail on how a story goes from script to layout, with script included! The detail that can be seen from an artistic level, to how pages and panels need to be set out is fascinating. It really shows between this part and the part on Aphra, just what the process is for artists from start to finish. The fact this was all done in the context of Star Wars made it all the more perfect.
The final part is the covers section, where Charretier talks about what a struggle it can be for her, before showing in full page spreads just what she can achieve. She might struggle, but goodness, you’d never know it from the finished articles. There are covers from several different comics, including two Star Wars ones in the form of Star Wars Adventures and the Doctor Aphra Annual. Again, there is some text that helps to guide you through Charretier’s process and to place the art into context, but the space is left for the art to speak for itself.
With everything all said and done, this book and the package that comes with it is a truly beautiful piece of work in and of itself. The attention to detail in every regard sets a standard that most will find difficult to even meet. This is Charretier’s love letter to her fans and it’s not difficult to see why she has such a strong following. The book itself is wonderful. There is something for everyone. If you want to know about how the art is developed, it is here, but you never feel like it intrudes on the main show, the art. The full-page spreads are simply gorgeous, and every chosen bit of art is exquisite (especially page twelve and thirteen!). Whether you are a Star Wars fan or not, if you are a fan of Charretier and her work then look no further than this book. I have a suspicion that I will keep peeking at this book for years to come, as I’m sure will most fans. Charretier should be very proud of what she has produced here, it’s something that any artist would be glad to hang their hat (or pen) on.
You can breathe a sigh of relief if you missed out on the Kickstarter camapign. The artbook has now been made available to non-backers and you can pre-order a copy by visiting Elsa’s Etsy website and is priced at €27.
Now I just have to ask…. volume two?
