Experts share top five recommendations for discovering french comics as an adult

FIRST-TIME READERS OF BANDES DESSINÉES MIGHT WANT TO START WITH THIS LIST OF SUGGESTIONS Bandes dessinées (also known as BDs), have a respected heritage in France. In 2023, 75 million comic

books were sold across the country, according to market research company, GfK.  The wide selection of comics and graphic novels that fills France's librairies might feel overwhelming

for someone wishing to discover the genre. That's why The Connexion asked three comic book experts for their professional recommendations for adults looking to pick up a BD for the

first time. SUGGESTIONS FROM MARINA SICHANTHO AND JEAN-PHILIPPE MARTIN Marina Sichantho is assistant general manager at Angoulême's Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de

l’image (CIBDI), a museum dedicated to the art of BDs. Jean-Philippe Martin is the centre's scientific and programming adviser. Read also:  Discover Angoulême: The Heart of French Comic

Art and Graphic Novels They recommend starting out with the following list: * The Clandestines de l’Histoire series by Catel Muller and José-Louis Bocquet, telling the story of women

forgotten by history: Kiki de Montparnasse, Olympe de Gouges, Joséphine Baker, Alice Guy and Anita Conti * The Frustrés series by Claire Bretécher * L'Incal by Jean Giraud (known as

Moebius), one of the great titles of science fiction * Le Monde sans fin, by Christophe Blain and Jean-Marc Jancovici, a bestseller in France in 2022 and now translated into English * Tamara

Drew by Posy Simmonds POSY SIMMONDS’ TOP FIVE British cartoonist, illustrator and writer Posy Simmonds MBE was crowned winner of Angoulême International Comics Festival (FIBD) 2024’s Grand

Prix, making her the first British recipient and the fourth woman to be awarded the French lifetime achievement award. Read more: Posy Simmonds Wins Grand Prix at Angoulême Comics Festival

2024 She shares her expert recommendations on top BDs for beginners: * La Légèreté by Catherine Meurisse * Rébétiko by David Prudhomme * The Arab of the Future novels by Riad Sattouf *

Anything by Claire Bretécher  * The Last Days of Stefan Zweig by Laurent Seksik and Guillaume Sorel Read our interview with Posy where we spoke about her creative influences and upcoming

exhibition called Posy Simmonds. Herself. It will be held at the 52nd Angoulême International Comics Festival (FIBD) from January 30 to February 2, 2025. Do you read comics or bandes

dessinées as an adult? We would love to hear if our readers have any recommendations to share at [email protected]