Bryan Talbot signing Grandville November 28, 2009

In Grandville, Talbot brings us a glorious steampunk masterpiece. Inspired by the work of the nineteenth-century French illustrator Gerard, it tells the story of detective Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard as he stalks a gang of murderers through the heart of Belle Epoque Paris. In this alternative reality, France is the major world power and its capital is thronged with steam-driven hansom cabs, automatons and flying machines. The characters are mostly animals, though there is an underclass of humans who resemble the 'clear-line' characters of Herge's Tintin books. Grandville is an audacious rollercoaster ride that will add to Talbot's reputation as one of the best graphic novelists in the world.

Listing the accomplishments of Bryan Talbot is a daunting task – arguably the creator of the first British graphic novel, ‘The Adventures of Luther Arkwright’, the credits to his name are too numerous to mention. He started in the underground comics scene of the late 1960s and his work has spanned the flagship series of 2000AD as well as Batman, Sandman, Hellblazer amd Fables. The Observer described his last graphic novel, Alice in Sunderland, as ‘…one of the most exhilarating books in years’.

Official Website: http://forbiddenplanet.com/events/2009/11/28/bryan-talbot-grandville/