Juan Giménez: five essential albums to read or reread

Tragically carried away on April 2 by complications due to the Covid-19, Juan Giménez (1943-2020) was considered a great master of science fiction comics, greatly praised by the profession, of the greatest American cartoonists such as Neil Gaiman , Mike Mignola, Matias Bergara, or Francesco Francavilla who paid tribute to him on Twitter.

To read also: Juan Gimenez, legend of the science fiction comic strip, carried away by the coronavirus

Filmmaker and screenwriter Alejandro Jodorowsky also reacted to the death of Juan Giménez on the Actua BD site, stating that this great artist “looked exactly like the immortal Meta-Baron. In my unconscious, Juan Giménez cannot die. He will continue, drawing like the master warrior he was. ”

The last exhibition of Juan Giménez at the Daniel Maghen gallery. Juan Giménez Daniel Maghen

Tributes were thus unanimous up to the gallery owner Daniel Maghen who was the last to exhibit it in France a few months ago: “Juan was a genius who marked several generations of designers. His life was dedicated to drawing. He told me how in Argentina he discovered Howling Metal and Pilot and how it had changed his life. He was honored with the awards he had received that could be seen above his drawing board. He was still telling me a few months ago how proud he was to draw the last covers of Star Wars . He was always full of projects. ”

Here are the best albums he has made during his career:

● L'Etoile noire (1981) with Ricardo Barreiro

A splendid space opera, which left its mark on comic strip authors of the early 1980s. Juan Giménez éditions Glénat

On the planet Poseidon IV, a small world on the fringes of the galaxy, the young Speed ​​is a clever little thug who spends his life escaping from the police. He is recruited by the mysterious Braxtor who needs him to carry out a particular expedition. Accompanied by a young and pretty pilot, Nadia, and by the mercenary android Vran, Speed ​​crosses the galaxy to dive into the heart of a black star where many legendary civilizations have disappeared for ages ... At the heart of terrifying graveyard of intergalactic vessels awaits a millennial secret. Juan Giménez and the scriptwriter Ricardo Barreiro sign a splendid space opera, which left its mark on the comic strip authors of the early 80s.

● Mutant (1985)

With "Mutante", Juan Giménez realizes a superb collection of short science fiction stories, where he shows his very great talents as graphic designers. Juan Giménez Albin Michel editions

With Mutante , Juan Giménez creates a superb collection of short sci-fi stories, where he reveals his very great talents as graphic designers, by staging many aerial battles and other mysteries from Egyptian antiquity. One remains however a little on its hunger on the side of the stories which often end on a humoristic fall.

● Gangrene (1993) with Carlos Trillo

With "Gangrene", we can read a visually dazzling space opera as well as a barely masked allegory of the Third World struggling against the indifference of the great Western powers. Juan Giménez Albin Michel editions

With the scriptwriter Carlos Trillo, Giménez stages a very effective story of SF. It all starts in a toxic waste dump covering the whole country where those of the "Underzone" languish considered as rats by the upper caste. Yet some old people remember, thanks to old photos, that we lived better centuries ago, in these futuristic cities. The arrival of a man fallen from the sky will turn everything upside down and make them regain their memories ... In the background, we can read in this visually dazzling opera space a barely masked allegory of the Third World fighting against the indifference of great western powers refusing to share their wealth.

● The Fourth Power (1989-2008)

In the "Fourth Power", Juan Giménez stages four destinies of women in the heart of a teeming science fiction universe, full of noise and fury. Juan Giménez Associated Humanoids

The saga The Fourth Power first tells of the odyssey of Exether Mega, a young pilot of a military ship engaged in the rabid war between Humans and Krommiums. Winning the war is only a pretext, Exether is in fact the victim of a scientific experiment aimed at creating the absolute weapon. By bringing together four brains, the scientists will manufacture a creature endowed with infinite cosmic powers, a supreme creature born from the fusion of four women who will escape all control… With the other three volumes, drawn over a decade, Juan Giménez stages four destinies of women in the heart of a teeming science fiction universe, full of noise and fury. We discover Homeric battles, action, dangerous scientific experiments, humor and a rather fierce social criticism ... Without forgetting the graphic virtuosity of a Juan Gimenez at the top of his art.

● The Caste des Méta-Barons (1992-2017) with Jodorowsky

The eight-volume saga "La Caste des Méta-Barons" is undoubtedly the masterpiece of Juan Giménez. Juan Giménez Associated Humanoids

Last but not least, here is perhaps what we can consider as the masterpiece of Juan Giménez. The Caste des Méta-Barons is a dazzling space saga, derived from the universe of The Incal by Moebius / Jodorowsky. Eight extraordinary volumes in which the bubbling "Jodo" tells the complex story of a family, as if it were the Atrides. Jodorowsky thus mixes Frank Herbert's Dune with the great Greek tragedies. To explain who the Meta-Baron is, Jodo and Giménez plunges the readers into the heart of a series of annoyed destinies, from Honorata the Trisaïeule to Aghnar the Bisaïeul, via Othon the Trisaïeul, Head of Steel the Aïeul .. .

Tragic, incest, parricide destinies are thus declined over several generations in the heart of a world of operative science fiction. The tandem weaves a magnificent parable on power and descendants. This larger than life war tragedy remains as flamboyant as it is unavoidable.