Review: "Liberty" by Raives and Warnauts

Liberty by Raives and Warnauts, translated by Jesse Aufiery
English edition published March 2023 via Europe Editions
★★★★

First there is Tshilanda, growing up privileged in Kinshasa in the 70s. At fifteen, almost sixteen, her body has developed in ways that make men take notice—and mostly she doesn't mind, because she's young and sheltered and doesn't quite know who she can trust. But innocence gives way to the rest of the world, and then there's New York, and Liberty.

Liberty spans decades, slipping between perspectives and chasing a dream (after a fashion) from Zaire (now the DRC) to New York City. Mostly it's Tshilanda's story, as she navigates a fall from everything she's known to the harsh streets of 1970s New York, but equally important are the stories of Liberty and the men in their lives, especially Mike and Édouard. The book doesn't pass the Bechdel test, but the art is so beautiful and the multigenerational story so compelling that I didn't notice until after the fact.

The art: rich and vibrant, with deep colors, sharp, precise lines, and something akin to watercolor to fill it all in. Most of the places I bookmarked were panels that I want to use in my futile quest to learn to draw. The lines of the body, and the postures, and the facial expressions—and the shading! If ever I magically figure out how to draw a face that looks like a face and not an abomination, I will move on to shading and use this as a reference. The chapter breaks and the end of the book also feature more sketch-like work, and in places it's just as evocative as the more refined art.

One thing worth a mention for readers: you'll have to pay some attention, at times, to work out who is speaking when. It's a little frustrating in places—there's not always a clear POV transition, and the dialogue boxes are often unclear—but the payoff is worth it.

Thanks to the authors and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.