The Nikopol Trilogy Hardcover – April 12, 2016

I'll state my bias straight up, Enki Bilal is what got me into graphic novels, particularly European graphic novels, which are a slightly different breed from most of the North American style. So if you enjoy the European contribution to the graphic novel world, writers/artists like Moebius, Druillet, Schuiten, Jodrowosky, chances are you have already checked out Enki Bilal. If you haven't, stop reading this review and go do it now. He's one of the best of the bunch.First up, the artwork. Bilal has a unique, scratchy sort of style that evokes a grungy sense of hopeless dystopia while incorporating the fantastical; alien races, Egyptian gods, robots and grotesque and beautiful human beings alike populate his world. The colouring is unbelievable and really immerses you in the mood of his work, but its his line work that underpins the believability. It's dirty and manages a kind of cartoony realism that is hard to explain in words. This printing of The Nikopol Trilogy is grade A, the panels are well sized, the colours vibrant. In short the artwork will blow you away and is worth the price of the book alone. I think few would deny Bilal on this front.Now to the story, which is perhaps less likely to be universally appreciated. Firstly a little context, and this is important. The kind of story telling Bilal employs, like many European artsists, is stylistically very different to what most North American audiences are used to. Where Hollywood and mainstream literature have emphasised Aristotle's famous outline for the 'proper pleasure', conventions such as beginning middle end, conflict/resolution, likable characters, etc, other styles are less formulaic and rigid in their framework, allowing for greater ambiguity, more focus on character than plot, even sometimes contradiction and paradox as a story telling device. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. At its worst the former ends up 'going through motions' that are too familiar, old and boring, telling the same stories in different iterations, over and over again, with only a superficial treatment. It's a passive experience that doesn't require much in the way of audience involvement. Think Michael Bay. On the other hand, at its worst the other style can lead to incoherence, pretentious and impenetrable works that alienate the viewer. Think Southland Tales perhaps.But at their best both styles bring something interesting to the experience of the audience. The latter requires more engagement, is more challenging, but also more visceral and often a deeper more engaging experience because of it. I think a lot of the complaints about the story in the reviews here are from people who don't appreciate or understand another style of story telling to what they're familiar with. They've perhaps been raised expecting certain boxes to be ticked and are uncomfortable when they're not. If you think that's you, then you probably won't enjoy this. If, however, you like to be challenged, you don't mind when things aren't spoon feed in logical sequential order, and you don't have a problem with ambiguity and loose ends left flapping in the breeze for you to engage with and piece together yourself, then you will have no trouble here.Bilal's work is most certainly not incoherent, is far from pretentious, and is accessible as long as you aren't looking for a Hollywood screenplay in the classical Western framework. The Nikopol Trilogy remains a seminal work in graphic novels, a mature and original story told with a unique and inspiring artistic talent. Bilal, along with Moebius, was the inspiration behind Ridley Scott's Bladerunner, and no doubt countless other 'mainstream' artists working in both film and graphic novels today. These guys helped lay the foundation for sci fi, steampunk and cyberpunk as we know and love it today.

The Nikopol Trilogy is an outstanding work of comic book genius even now, decades after it was first published, in a culture saturated with super hero movies. The reason this work is so much better then most comics is that it takes place on a different playing field. The protagonist freely quoted French poetry, the characters (unlike most comics) are sexual beings, and the art is superb. This is that one book to get that friend who hates comics.

I've been a Bilal fan since the mid 80's. I remember owning the heavy metal issue that had the entire Woman Trap story in it. Though I lost my copy, the story and artwork had stayed in my head. Thanks to the internet, I was able to trace the trilogy.The compilation is a classic. You witness how Bilal evolved as an artist and as a story teller within a 12yr period. This is perfect for Blade Runner fans. Outstanding story line with a very haunting artwork presented in a large hardbound format.5 stars is an understatement

One of the comics that inspired the look of Blade Runner--what more can I say? I admit I am not a fan of the storytelling (or lack thereof) from that era of French comics, but much has already been written elsewhere about the differences in expectations of storytelling between European and American cultures, so I won't go into that here. I bought this book for the art, and the art in this book ought to make anyone's jaw drop.

Great buy.skeptical about price,but absolutely woth it.the art work is some of the best i have ever seen.so inspiring for myself who would live to do my own graphic novel someday.

This book is the one of the most origninal works of imagination I have read. If you want to know what it is like, imagine a David Lynch project, like Twin Peaks or Dune, and something written by Alan Moore, with some Blade Runner thrown in, and you have The Nikopol Trilogy.The translation of the book is a bit clunky at times, but the story is great. And the art is detailed, but not to the point of your eyes wandering everywhere. Bilal puts in just enough detail for you to take a closer look at his panels. The colors reflect a grimy, claustrophobic, old city feel.If you have the money and are tired of the same old same old, get this book. You wil find yourself rereading it to make sure you got everything the first time, which you probably did not.

All pages were there and good condition

Ya. It's a tough book to get a hold of. I took a beat up copy with water damage and read it cover to cover. It's in French. Enki Bilal can really bring it.