Les Humanos Celebrate 50 Years with the Second Decade: Opus Humano 1985–1995

The Humanoïdes Associés continue to celebrate their 50th anniversary by unveiling their second decade. Opus Humano 1985–1995 is a moment of disappearance and reinvention, as reflected in this nearly 300-page volume.

The End of a Magazine and the Rise of a Publishing House

The second installment of Opus Humano highlights continuity in the midst of change. Illustrator Franz pays homage to the work of Jean Giraud on Blueberry, collaborating with two innovative scriptwriters, Bocquet and Fromental, who remain active today. Crime stories remain a staple, exemplified by an episode of Lou Cale, written by Warn’s and Raives and inspired by noir novels. The series follows a New York police detective in the 1940s who uses photography to advance his investigations. Another standout is Memoir of a .38, an original tale of crime told from the perspective of a revolver—a .38 caliber weapon.

Unfortunately, this decade also highlights the continued lack of female representation, a fact visible in the photo of the preface. The current director of the publishing house acknowledges this, as well as the sexualized depiction of female bodies.

This evolution is also evident in the format of Opus Humano: a thick, flexible magazine of 270 pages alternating between short stories and graphic novels. This era marked a shift in the distribution of comics, with many magazines shutting down (Métal Hurlant in 1987, Pilote in 1989). Readers increasingly preferred the album format. This shift is reflected in this volume, where longer narratives dominate. Opus Humano features four albums as well as a collection of short stories, such as Memoir of a .38.

The Humanoïdes Associés also underwent a significant leadership change during this period. The story of Fabrice Giger's takeover, however, is narrated with little critical distance, coming across as a hagiographic account.

The graphic richness of Opus Humano 1985–1995

The Arrival of a New Generation

New editors wrote the introduction texts for this volume. Bernard Quillien contributed an imaginary piece on Beb-Deum. This second volume also welcomes new artists such as Yves Chaland. His inclusion of F-52 is a revelation for those who had never encountered his work. While seemingly loyal to Franco-Belgian traditions, Chaland deconstructs the genre’s conventions, incorporating sinister details into his art and exposing the violence and perversion often hidden in children’s comics.

These young talents symbolize the emergence of a new graphic identity. Chaland’s clean lines contrast with Beb-Deum’s airbrushed coloring. This new generation draws inspiration from different sources, such as Terry Gilliam’s film Brazil. They also tackle fresh themes. The future is no longer just strange but absurd—a bureaucratic dystopia rather than the wild frontiers of colonialist space opera.

Opus Humano also marks the gothic movement's arrival in its final pages with the album Adam Scarlech. Frédéric Bézian, a fan of The Cure, channels Egon Schiele and draws inspiration from 19th-century magazines and The Songs of Maldoror rather than the sci-fi of the previous generation. Bézian depicts a degenerate noble family during the rise of the supernatural and occultism. His sharp, angular lines and multi-lined faces, paired with non-realistic colors, are striking. Adam Scarlech stands out as a visual and narrative masterpiece in Opus Humano.

This album feels far more contemporary compared to others. Written by Jodorowsky and illustrated by Jean-Paul Gal, it follows the journey of a wild queen seeking peace to marry the wisest prince. Despite featuring a female protagonist, her existence revolves around a man.

Published by Les Humanoïdes Associés, this second volume of Opus Humano continues to uncover the past. Readers move from short comic stories to several standout albums of the era. Two exceptional titles rise above the rest: Adam Scarlech by Frédéric Bézian and F-52 by Yves Chaland.

Discover more releases from Les Humanoïdes Associés, including a Métal Hurlant issue on H.P. Lovecraft and the captivating Birdking.