Blacksad: an adult noir comic with a stunning cartoon look

With Blacksad something happened to me. When it appeared on the shelves of every comic shop back in the 2000s, its slightly childish look did not really grab me.

Back then, at 17, I preferred other kinds of more “adult” works.

However, with the perspective that comes with age and after seeing it again in my local library, I decided to read the whole saga. And, honestly, I do not regret it at all.

Blacksad is one of those works where you only need to open a page to understand its popularity. Juanjo Guarnido’s drawing and the watercolor color work are so good that they justify reading the saga on their own, even if noir is not the genre you enjoy most.

Besides, those animals with human bodies remain something different and striking, even if it is a device that has been used many times before.

The feeling you get when leafing through any of its volumes is that you are looking at a Disney for adults. And I find that quite appealing.

Noir fiction with a cartoon look

The saga follows John Blacksad, a private detective shaped like a cat (black, matching his surname) who moves through a world of anthropomorphic animals inspired by classic American noir.  

There is crime, violence, racism, politics, abuse of power, secrets and morally gray characters. All of them, or almost all of them.

Although we are talking about animals with humanoid bodies, the work takes itself seriously. There is humor in small doses, but no feeling of parody.

That is why it is important not to get confused. Blacksad is not a children’s comic. Its world is fairly dirty, its conflicts are adult, and many of its stories have a bitter edge. All very much in keeping with the genre the work belongs to.

Anthropomorphic animals: they are not decoration

One of the saga’s best decisions is that the animals are not there just to attract attention. They help you understand the characters almost before they speak.

A character can seem dangerous because of their species, pathetic because of their gesture, elegant because of their posture or ridiculous because of the contrast between what they are and how they try to behave. Guarnido handles this with enormous talent. Every design, every face, every expression and every body suggests something.

That, together with their dialogue, makes the main characters very charismatic. 

Above all, of course, the protagonist. John Blacksad works very well because he has that mix of classic detective, weary tough guy and character you recognize at first glance. A Humphrey Bogart in his youth and prime.

The supporting characters, like Weekly, are also three-dimensional, especially those who appear in several volumes. And even those who only appear in one volume are not mere extras serving the protagonist, but well-designed, well-executed characters.

The universe created by these animals, the noir plots and the drawing and atmosphere of the work is unique, giving the whole thing an identity that is very easy to recognize.

The (for now) seven main Blacksad volumes

This review focuses on the seven main albums published so far. I am not going into Weekly, the spin-off devoted to the reporter who sometimes accompanies our cat. In this article I focus on assessing the main saga.

So, each volume presents a different case. There are more political stories, others that are more personal, and others closer to the thriller or classic noir.  

Here are their titles:

1. Volume 1: Somewhere Within the Shadows (2000)
2. Volume 2: Arctic Nation (2003)
3. Volume 3: Red Soul (2005)
4. Volume 4: A Silent Hell (2010)
5. Volume 5: Amarillo (2013)
6. Volume 6: They All Fall Down – Part One (2021)
7. Volume 7: They All Fall Down – Part Two (2023)

All of them are a similar length, between 48 and 60 pages.

In general, the structure tends to move through familiar ground: Blacksad arrives at a place or situation, investigates, pokes his nose where he should not and ends up finding truths far worse than they first seemed.

There is no need to say much more because Blacksad is better enjoyed by going into each case with little prior information, letting yourself be carried along by the atmosphere, the characters and their dialogue. It is a work you read very, very quickly.

The best of Blacksad

Let’s go through the reasons behind its popularity.

Guarnido’s drawing and watercolor

This is the big reason to read Blacksad. Guarnido’s drawing is stunning, not only because of the technical level, but because of how he uses composition, color, light, shadow and expressions.

The watercolor gives the saga a very special texture. Everything has body and atmosphere. There are pages you could look at even if you were not following the story. In a medium like comics, where the visual part is half the work, that is essential.

In addition, the drawing does not just decorate; it sets the tone of a scene, makes it clear who dominates the conversation, who is hiding something or what our protagonist is thinking without having to explain it with text.

The expressiveness of the characters

In fact, another extremely strong point is expressiveness.

You can really feel the animation skill and work behind every drawing. The characters are not just well designed: they act.

A sideways glance, a clenched jaw or a bitten lip says a lot. That is why the comparison with Disney is so fitting.

The adult tone despite the appearance

The contrast between what it looks like and what it is also works well. Blacksad is easy to enter through the drawing, but the conventions of the genre are what they are. And it does not water them down to make them simpler or more suitable for a younger audience.

That is why I would not give it to a child, despite the appeal of its panels. It is an adult comic with a cartoon look, and it is worth being clear about that to avoid surprises.

The worst of Blacksad

Despite being a great saga, there are also a few things that keep it from being a masterpiece. Specifically, one.

Simple plots for such spectacular artwork

The main drawback is that the plots are not at the same level as the drawing. They are not bad, they are well told and they do their job, but they rarely surprise as much as the visual side.

Probably because it confines itself to a single volume (two, in only one case), which means more complex plots cannot really be developed. But the truth is that Blacksad cries out for either an ongoing series — something the artist cannot manage, given the work each page requires — or a 120-page graphic novel with more developed characters.

Blacksad would shine quite a bit more there.

As for the plots themselves, they rely on very recognizable noir elements: crime, investigation, power, corruption, secrets and double-sided characters. All that works in its (relative) simplicity, but it does not have the same force as Guarnido’s pages.

As I say, this is what prevents Blacksad from being an absolute masterpiece. Visually it is, without any doubt. Narratively, it remains one step below.

Verdict

Blacksad is very much worth it, especially if you value drawing, color and a comic’s ability to create its own world through images.

It is a very appealing universe, one you will only stay away from if you are put off — as my 17-year-old self was — by its supposed childishness.

If you are interested in European comics, noir or Disney animation, you should read it.

And if you like seeing how close the drawing of a comic can get to cinematic animation, you should read it too.

Technical details

Field	Data
Title	Blacksad
Authors	Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido
Year started	2000
Volumes reviewed	Seven main albums currently published
Genre	Noir comic / crime fiction
Main character	John Blacksad
Original publisher	Dargaud
Spanish edition	Norma Editorial
Spin-off	Weekly, not reviewed here
Spoilers	No