Grandville

Author: Bryan Talbot

On the serface, Bryan Talbot's Grandville series of graphic novels would appear to be furry comics. The world is inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, so you're thinking furry, right? If there are furry animals, it's not got any depth to it, right? It's just a lotta talking animals. Not by a long shot. There's a badger detective, LeBrock, solving a diplomat's murder in Grandville, aka Paris. Calling it a detective story would even be giving it far too little credit. The world that Grandville plays in is incredibly dense, layered with political intrigue, mystery, sex, and alternate historical fun. The Napoleonic Wars ended much differently, with France ruling over the UK for more than a century, Talbot thrills in giving us little details in his works that tell a thorough story of the world that he creates, things like the French guillotining the entire British Royal Family. He also tells an amazing detective story, all using furry animals. It's practically magic! Why it's on the list: One of the darkest, most complete alternate history graphic novels ever created, Grandville and its follow-ons show Talbot as a master of the form.