Blacksad: AmarilloComic Reviews 

Review – Blacksad: Amarillo

Blacksad: Amarillo
Blacksad: Amarillo is the fifth volume of the titular anthropomorphic crime series, Blacksad. Written by Juan Díaz Canales with illustrations & colouring by Juanjo Guarnido.

SUMMARY

Back on the losing side of life, Blacksad takes a step back from the rough world of PI work and opts for a seemingly harmless job as a valet through the valleys of Route 66. What follows is a travelling circus of criminal chaos with one man leaving his mark in each town, a down on his luck lion with a one hit wonder novel. Even with Blacksad and a stampede of bad decisions on this lion’s tail, everyone deserves a second chance to do one good thing.

Blacksad: Amarillo

ART

Coincidentally, the colouring throughout this comic is like a brand new coat of paint on a 50s Cadillac; redefiningly classic and exuberantly bright. Brightest of this palette is the condimental combination of red and yellow. While it’s symbolism is tailored more towards carnival cosmetics, there is a fitting air of Summer poetry to the warm and passionate colours of red and yellow.

Blacksad: Amarillo

Guarnido demonstrates his artistic ingenuity in designing and engineering intricate watercolours throughout this wanderlusting adventure. In the midst of gorgeous train stations and populated city landscapes are atomic nuances of artistry such as concentrated expressions among 100 different animal civilians at once.

WRITING

As we reach the final instalment (for now) of the Blacksad series, it seems only fair to take the arcs of the series into consideration here. While Canales’ characterisation is immediately brilliant from the moment we are introduced to a character, the real beauty comes from the friends we made along the way. Or rather, their development as beloved characters. For the short time that we see Weekly in this comic, it is a wholesome time to be had as he and Blacksad have formed a genuine admiration for each other. Despite his external and fowl flaws both moral and physical, his inner talents and personality are a breath of fresh air!

Blacksad: Amarillo

Canales strays from the path of his usual storytelling tropes of razor sharp relevant subject materials and instead offers his most unique and deep addition to the series. I’m not entirely sure of the overall theme, the human condition? The larger balance of work and passion? A powerful and gripping message of mental health? Whatever it is, I relate to it way more than the other volumes. There’s an element of self-discovery to be found in Blacksad: Amarillo that is as intriguing as it is daunting.

OVERALL

In conclusion, Blacksad: Amarillo is a fast paced and fascinating addition to the story of Blacksad. Where previous tales focused on subject matters grounded in scarily relevant realism, Amarillo instead offers a simple but convoluted by the numbers classic detective story with uniquely engaging twists and thrills.

Blacksad: Amarillo

Heavily detailed and beautifully consistent in both Guarnido’s artistry and Canales’ writing, this duo when separated are stand-alone virtuosos but together are a real tour de force that are ahead of the curve in the world of comic books.

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Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Blacksad: Amarillo and be sure to check out my reviews for Blacksad: Somewhere Within The Shadows, Blacksad: Arctic NationBlacksad: Red Soul, Blacksad: A Silent Hell & Blacksad: Under The Skin!

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Benjamin Milne

Written by 

I don't know what I'm doing but I'm doing it with naps inbetween.

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