Somewhere Within the Shadows (Blacksad, #1)

by Juan Diaz Canales

[Rach Wood]

The first volume of the Blacksad series introduces John Blacksad and invites us to follow the investigation into the murder of the famous actress Natalia Wilford, with whom Blacksad became involved while working as her bodyguard. The narrative is set in 1950s America, in a noir environment, with a very dark cinematic style, due to its realistic lines. The most original feature lies in the fact that all characters are anthropomorphic animals, whose species reflect their character. John Blacksad is a black cat, although it has some white fur.

There are some stereotypes, as almost all law enforcement officers are canids or foxes, while underworld characters, the outcasts, are reptiles or amphibians. Besides John Blacksad, there are two other characters with some prominence: Smirnov, a police inspector who helps John with his investigations, and Weekly, a dwarf weasel, who works as a sensationalist journalist and who occasionally acts as the protagonist's sidekick, though we only meet him in volume 2.

This is definitely a series not to be missed. The illustration is exceptional, with the use of dramatic shadows, night scenes and gloomy interiors.