A Parisian cop learns that he may have a daughter from his ex-wife upon the daughter's death. It's been labeled a suicide but it's soon realized that's not the case as the worst gang in Barcelona is involved. It's a decent detective story but what I liked best about it was seeing Barcelona through another's eyes. It's one of my favorite European cities.

A very short but surprisingly affecting and action packed crime story with extraordinary artwork.
A French police officer is called to Spain to identify the body of the adult daughter he never knew he had. She has apparently committed suicide, but no one really believes this is the case. As he begins to investigate, he realizes that not only was she murdered, but she was embroiled in a world of gangs, huge sums of money and art forgery, and it may be what got her killed.
The book packs a LOT into less than 100 pages, and was very entertaining.

'The Art of Dying' by Raule with art by Philippe Berthet is a graphic novel about a man who has been to Barcelona many times, but is seeing things that are new on this trip.

Philippe Martin is a Paris cop who has taken many vacation trips to Barcelona. This time, he is called to Barcelona for the suspicious suicide of a girl. His trip there will take him to new places, and he discovers there may be a link between himself and the missing girl. He finds himself in a world of art forgeries and a gang of criminals that like to tattoo their faces, but Philippe knows how to handle himself in dangerous situations.

As a procedural goes, I liked it. I've seen some criticism of the art, but it's got a nice clean style that I really liked. The story offers few surprises, but was a pleasant enough read.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

The Art of Dying is another crime title in a week full of them. Perhaps if it hadn’t had such strong competition, it would have stood out, but instead it was ever so close but not quite. There were some great set pieces, especially as one man tears apart a crime empire, but there were also plot elements that seemed too abrupt or too convenient, and an ex-wife who only appeared to advance the plot. This is not a bad title, and the price is very affordable, but when balanced against some of the strong competition, it was just short of standing out as a contender.

Review will be available at provided link on 4/4/19.

The drawing gave me an old comic's vibe. It reminded me of comics that I used to read at the end of the nineties or at the beginning of the two thousand. (Read: which I read after stealing them from my brother). It made me feel a bit nostalgic, but in all honesty, I prefer the more modern drawn comics.

I loved the setting of the story and the "criminal" part of the story.

I did not care much for the main character, but it was not a big problem.

It was a pleasurable, quick read but I can already say that I won't be coming back to this and certainly my mind won't shift to think about the story.

I was hooked right from the start. I love the mystery, and it’s been so long since I read a really good art crime. It is action-packed but also filled with interesting human relationships, a proper scary criminal organization, and an adorable taxi driver/philosopher. I was hoping for more, and would love to read more of Mr. Martin’s adventures. In the end, it doesn’t matter if the victim is really our hero’s daughter or not. She was a wonderful friend and artist. Her creativity spoke all throughout the story. I’m just glad to join the quest to get justice for her death.

A bit pricey for a 74 page book that just starts and ends. I feel this could have been better executed, but I in no way jugde the artistic view of the creator. I wouldnt ever be able to do something like this.

"No Molestar | Don't Disturb": A real and lurking danger, the MS-13 are in Barcelona dealing with embezzling accountants and causing a labyrinth of problems, the only way they know, for Parisian Police Detective Philippe Martin.

Oh man, what a hell of an intro... you've got a bad-ass Tarantino-esque Reservoir Dogs style stand-off where presumably Keitel would be playing the lead, Buscemi wouldn't be lying on the ground but standing and the bodies would be spread around the place (although in that scene it was just Mr White and Mr Pink at each other's Smith & Wesson 659 endpoint (Thank-you imfdb [http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Reservoir_Dogs]!))...

This then leads into a kicker of a storyline, fueled with emotion, heart-on-the-sleeve honesty, a few horrifically brutal scenes (nothing too drastic; yeah, that's not true, it's pretty damn horrific... I mean, c'mon, we all picked up the material either from the front-cover or the notability of the guys behind it), some well-disguised character introduction through comic-panelling awe, some pretty classy dining over a nightmare, a gin and tonic, and some Belgian beer; and some beautiful art-in-art moments with a few references to John Everett Millais' 'Ophelia', Pablo Picasso's 'Portrait of Carlos Casagemas' (and a little history lesson on the latter), and Jacques Brel to name a few, and the bohemian La Escocesa (an art-commune likeness to the Montmartre in Paris, Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen, and The Republic of Užupis in Vilnius?)...

Amongst all of this the cultural lessons leak through so naturally, be it history or otherwise, including Gene Tierney (Laura, 1944; by Otto Preminger), a lesson in crackling (go check out Page 30 of the comic in its own page-numbering form), a beauty amongst the thorns that is the Jardí de la Casa Ignacio de Puig (Carrer d'en Quintana, 4, 08002 Barcelona), a twist of protest, love, and fate, during the 1986 lyceens en grève, a Spanish lesson in calling people an asshole, and a Honduras Spanish lesson in slang on uncovering someone as a Cop!

And the artwork... first-off, characters, the first introduction of a female character highlights immediately that definitive European, Milo Manara-esque - 'Click!' - female beauty in Deputy Inspector Gimeno; secondly, the colouring and the use of shadowing is excellent and works its magic at keeping focus on the key person in the scene as does it also hold a hint of similarity in attention to character-detail (down to the hairstyling in these shadowy scenes) - in the same way Enki Bilal does so thoughtfully in his characters - I see Philippe Berthet applying the same focus.

"Show me a hero, and I'll write you a tragedy." - F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I'm thinking what to say but there's nothing in my mind after reading this... The artwork like this always makes me sick, I just don't think it is good. The story? Okay. Slow, and the ending was absolutely boring, predictable and.. ugh. I think the idea was good and if it was written a little differently + completely different artwork, I would enjoy it more.

Real world sort of stories can be told quite effectively in a visual format like comics. Your average police procedural drama takes on added depth when bold colors and dramatic art are used to express the violence of the story. It’s even better when there is an unfamiliar setting involved. This graphic novel is a story of art, forgery, gangs, casinos, debts and loss. It’s pretty straightforward without any exciting twists, but it’s a well-told rogue cop procedural drama. The art isn't highly detailed, but it is effective. There are also some interesting bits of history relating to art, government protest and the city of Barcelona.

I quite liked this one. This was a gritty and rather dark story (in terms of storylines as well as colours), against the backdrop of one of my favourite cities. Nice graphics, nice colouring, entertaining story.

It put me in graphic heaven! Stunning illustrations and panel layout are spot on. The plot definitely is an adult theme. Not in the sense of nudity, but in violence. I recommend the title for an adult graphic novel collection.

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A quick, interesting read about a Parisian cop and the murder of a daughter he never knew he had. The comics were really good. The development of the mystery was well paced but the last part seemed rushed. The background was crafted to perfection, giving a 80's crime drama feel.
Highly recommend to mystery lovers looking for a quick read.

A quick artistic read about a cop trying to solve a mystery about his daughters murder. He doesn't go into the case knowing the victim is his daughter.

More! More!

This was brilliant. I enjoyed it so much that I was disappointed when it ended.

Philippe Martin, a Paris cop, is called to Barcelona to look into the suspicious suicide of a girl who might be his daughter. When he gets to Barcelona and identifies the body he realises that the deceased young woman is the spitting image of his former girlfriend who broke up with him 25 years ago and ran off to Barcelona.

And so Philippe begins to investigate the death because he isn't convinced that this is a suicide.

His investigation takes him into the depths and the alleyways of Barcelona and he gets to see a dark and dangerous side of Barcelona. Philippe gets to see the Barcelona which is ruled by violent and dangerous men and these are the men that may have killed his daughter.

This is a dynamic and action-packed police procedural story in the style of 'Dirty Harry'. Philippe does what needs to be done in order to get the bad guys and bends rules, and breaks them where necessary.

The comic held my attention from beginning to end but I was disappointed when it ended. I wanted to know more. What led him to Barcelona every year? What was the result of the test? Who was waiting for him back in Paris?

This comic is really packs a punch in a short 75 pages. The artwork is good and there is just enough balance between prose and picture. The villains look really scary and the twists and turns of the story are gripping and intriguing. I ended this comic really just wanting to know more about this hardened cop from another land.

Copy provided by Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This thriller is quite a decent read, featuring as it does a Parisian cop who realises one of the least likely suicide victims is the daughter he never met. He gets summonsed to Barcelona to identify her, and then gets involved in… well, that would be telling. The final third is crammed into too few pages for my taste, as things in the build-up had a perfect pace and the concluding drama seemed forcibly quick. All hail the baddy who reveals the full plot at the perfect moment! But all told it looks good, it reads good, and is good.

Great, three-dimensional art with eighties' feel and good plot. I've enjoyed this neo-noir story a lot.

This book brings us beautiful art accompanied by relatable and flawed characters and a story whose ending you cannot predict. It gave me some Sin City vibes with the gruff cop and criminal underground. I loved every sentence.

Reader may presume it to be title of a self help book giving insights into right way to face times of departure from this planet. But it is not.
It is a thriller crime story with heart at its art and Barcelona in its body.
Cop Martin who visits Barcelona following death of Young Emma, who could be his daughter from his girlfriend seperated from him 25 years ago.
It is a mystery that unfolds with lots of interesting characters coming out with mention of Art by Picasso and his friend.
Story is nice and engaging.
Artwork and Coloring is excellent. Corpse is blue pink and night shadows are brilliant. So are the tattoos on characters.
Story is fast and fulfilling.
Nice graphic novel of crime thriller category.

For the record. I read the English version The Art of Dying. I am a real fan of Europe Comics who bring the skills and styles of various cultures and places.
This graphic novel is set in Barcelona and it appears without embarrassment to bring out the very best of this Catalonian city.
Philippe Martin, a Paris cop, is invited to Barcelona to assist into the death of a young woman who may have been his daughter. Barcelona is a charged place for Martin—he’s been visiting every summer for the 25 years since the girl’s mother left him and fled there. The dead girl looks strikingly like the woman he loved for some 5 years and after taking a paternity test he wants to find some answers for the tragic death. His investigations lead him into a shady world of criminal activity from extortion, embezzlement and fraud. This is a lucrative business and his independent research starts to ruffle some feathers and brings Martin to the attention of the most notorious gangsters.
Although outside his jurisdiction Martin receives support initially from the local police but even they can’t help him when he finds out too much. This journey reflects the path he has taken all his professional life. While he might seem career driven it is deeper, it is his sense of duty and justice that wins out but can he save the day when the odds are stacked against him and innocent lives are at risk.
A dark mystery. It is tragic as much as it is broken. He knows the city from all his visits that gives him an edge but it also reflects how close he came to finding his life which has been sealed until this suicide/murder. These character flaws and the incomplete shapes of these people that rarely come into focus leaves the story cold and lacking emotional involvement.
The greatest love affair is here, that of the affection in which the city of Barcelona is held. Nothing here undermines that, despite the brutality, the criminality at work throughout the city. One is drawn to places a casual visitor might not know, and the star of this story is its location.