It's been seven years since the last new North American volume of Blacksad released, but in 2022, Dark Horse Comics will be publishing the hardcover Blacksad: They All Fall Down • Part One. This is the first of a two-part story from creators Juan Díaz Canales (Corto Maltés) and Juanjo Guarnido (Voyageur). Readers are treated to the return of this noir series, which takes place in 1950s New York City. But the real twist is that this is a world where all the characters are anthropomorphized animals. One could even call Blacksad the original Zootopia.
Created back in 2000, the Blacksad series was initially published in France, and this particular volume was released in French back in 2021 by Dargaud and Europe Comics. Dargarud is one of the oldest French publishers, which also produced Asterix. The volume was nominated in France for the Angoulême Grand Prix award against nine other nominees, including Spirou: Hope Against All Odds and Yojimbot. This would be another feather in Blacksad's cap as the series previously won an Angoulême Prize for Artwork in 2004 and for Series in 2006. Crossing the waters for the Eisners, Blacksad creator Juanjo Guarnido won for Best Painter in 2011 and 2013 and the graphic novels won for Best U.S. Edition of International Material in 2013 and 2015. The series has been translated for 39 countries as well as adapted into a video game, Blacksad: Under the Skin.
The return of everyone's favorite feline private investigator was officially announced on the Dark Horse Comics website. They All Fall Down will be the sixth volume of Blacksad and features not just the reemergence of the feline private eye but also his "pal" Weekly, who first appeared in Blacksad: Arctic Nation, and always seems to make his friend's life harder. It's written by co-creator Canales with artwork by co-creator Guarnido. The English translation is by Diana Schutz (Grendel) and Brandon Kander (Flight of the Raven) with letters by Tom Orzechowski (Spawn) and Lois Athena Buhalis (Green Lantern).
The first part of They All Fall Down sees Blacksad taking on the mob, unions, and Lewis Solomon. Solomon plans on paving over New York's greenery no matter the cost. So, Blacksad must explore the theater and seedy underbelly of the city while also dealing with whatever mess Weekly has gotten himself into. With stories like this set in the unique world of Blacksad, it's surprising the graphic novel series has not been considered deserving of a film adaptation.
Considering how hard-to-find the previous graphic novels are in American comic book stores, Blacksad: They All Fall Down • Part One may be worth picking up before it's gone. The English version of the hardcover will be released by Dark Horse Comics in July 2022, first in comic book stores on July 6, 2022, and then in bookstores on July 19, 2022, for $19.99.
Source: Dark Horse Comics