Death in Trieste

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By Jason. Published by Fantagraphics. Hardcover, 176 pages, B&W, 2025. Enter the topsy-turvy world of the Dadaists and Surrealists in this new suite of graphic short stories by the internationally acclaimed cartoonist Jason. The cartoonist known as Jason returns with a collection of three short graphic stories, connected by an absurdist thread, showcasing his idiosyncratic cultural obsessions, clear line style, and deadpan humor. The title story, “Death in Trieste,” sets the scene in 1920s Berlin, a bustling cultural hotspot in the shadow of the coming Nazism. Here, a host of unlikely characters — time-travelling David Bowie, Rasputin, Nosferatu, Marlene Dietrich, and more — are all connected by a group of Dadaists who perform the art of rationality through madness. In “The Magritte Affair,” a wisecracking pair of detectives must crack a case involving art forgeries, masked men, and mysterious disappearances — all linked to the surrealist world of the famous Belgian painter. Finally, in “Sweet Dreams,” Jason reimagines the New Wave artists of the 1980s as X-Men-esque superheroes. While this supergroup easily dispatches such supernatural threats as living mummies, animated suits of armor, and rampaging golems, they soon face their biggest challenge yet, as a giant meteorite hurtles toward the Earth. "Any new work from Norwegian cartoonist Jason is worthy of a comics fan's full attention." — The A.V. Club "Jason's subdued take on Hergé's clear-line illustration style is a reliable delight." — Publishers Weekly "Jason's delight in mixing high and low art never fails to amuse." — High Low Comics Show more