De: Tales

De: Tales is the "first major American release" of Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá, twins from Brazil who both write and draw; the art with a strictly black or white style, the writing neither black nor white. A reading of the available preview gives the impression that this is a rather surreal book. However, it is generally quite down to earth.


The stories are all about the brothers, who are central in the panel above, derived from experiences or imagination. Both take their turns drawing and writing. The result is not meant to flow as a single story. Instead, each is a separate, poignant exploration of some aspect of life.

This is not a book to be read in a single sitting. Sure, it is short enough to finish off all at once, but such a reading does not allow one time to digest each stand alone story. These ought to be digested. The book is packed with downright interesting stories told well. Also the art is quite nice.

A good number of the stories are... I guess I would say male oriented. That is, if the reader does not identify with male and particularly male situations, some of the enjoyment is lost. Though I found the stories intellectually interesting, they did not necessarily catch me emotionally.

(The image included with this post is copyright 2006 Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá. It is drawn by Gabriel Bá, so probably written by his brother but I'm not sure.)