Au-dedans was elected during a final commission made up of journalists and Fnac booksellers among the 5 finalist comics previously selected by a general public jury, on the basis of the 20 favorite albums of the year 2024 from Fnac booksellers and France Inter teams. And it was the first graphic novel by Will McPhail, cartoonist for the New Yorker, which was selected.
Insidewritten and drawn by McPhail is an invigorating and moving story centered on the person of Nick, a withdrawn young man who will slowly awaken to the world. A very popular title since it had already received the ACBD 2024 Critics' Comics Prize.
Centered on Nick, an introverted young man, the story follows his gradual awakening to the world around him. Nick, a city-dwelling illustrator, divides his existence between his personal projects and a food job in an advertising agency. Frequenting cafes and craft beer bars, he is deeply aware of a void in his life, a void that he associates with the absence of others and their intimate worlds.
Far from being reduced to a simple review or an autobiography of one millennial among many others, this column explores the universal gap that separates us from each other. Whether with the local barista, members of his family, or Wren, an oncologist whose meeting will mark a painful turning point in his life, Nick comes up against the sensation that a world of human interactions is escaping him.
It is in a tragic moment that he will manage to open up to others. Carried by a graphic style alternating black and white and colors, recognizable among thousands, Au-dedans reveals itself to be at once poignant, fresh and full of humor. With this work, Will McPhail transcends the graphic novel, offering a compassionate and intense reflection on the specter of isolation in our contemporary societies.
An extract from this album is offered at the end of the article.
By Dispatch
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France
