Glacial Period is a French graphic novel commissioned by the Louvre Museum. I think the museum commissioned more graphic novels and I will see if I can get another one.
The story begins with a group of explorers walking across a snow covered field. They are searching for an old city which they know existed in the area. After so many centuries of glacial frost humanity has lost track of their past. History is lost and so is the old civilisations and their people. All of a sudden the explorers stumble upon the ruins of a big building and set their minds to explore the inside. Although partially destroyed, the structure still keeps most of its contents in good condition. By looking at these strange objects the explorers try to imagine how people lived in the past. However they can make up very little as they do not understand much of what is there. Sculptures, paintings, strange objects everywhere and no signs of written language.
Opinion: I liked the story. I loved the art. The premise is interesting and I liked how some of the events take place in the ruined museum of Louvre. The author takes the opportunity to guide us through some of the rooms and to show case some art objects. I liked how everything seemed alien to the explorers and how they tried to interpret what they were seeing. With little to zero reference they couldn't guess. I found their reasoning fascinating. It made me think about how important (historical, cultural) references are in our daily life. It would be easy for us to interpret an object of our days but for someone who is alien to our civilization this could be a monumental task. One problem I found in this book though was that the choice of the Louvre as the main setting felt artificial. In my opinion a different urban setting, like a street or a shopping centre would've been more realistic.
The art is beautiful. I particularly liked the combination of colours and the, some times, soothing atmosphere even when the characters were in danger. Strange might be but this is how I felt.
My edition was published in 2007 by NSB Publishing. It has 76 pages.
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