"Il Porto Proibito" is a 300 pages graphic novel, published in Italy by Bao and winner of the "Gran Guinigi" award for the best graphic novel of 2015, written by Teresa Radice and illustrated by Stefano Turconi.
Plot.
Summer of 1807. Abel, a victim of a shipwreck that lost his memories, is saved by the British navy on an island in the Pacific ocean. Back to England, in Plymouth, he went to live in an inn managed by the 3 daughters of an admiral disappeared and charged with treason. He also becomes friends with a prostitute. He only has one objective: recover his lost memories and, to do that, he will embark on a long journey towards Siam.
The story and the characters are really complex and there are many layers that will satisfy the youngest as well the mature readers. The amount of details Stefano and Teresa put in the book is simply outstanding, you feel this world and its characters are alive. I often found myself hearing (in my mind) the sounds of the wind and the sea as well as the songs of the mariners.
Stefano's artwork is nothing less than breathtaking, a detailed and highly expressive pencil work (he used different lead sizes as well as hardness, from 2H to 6B) that perfectly conveys the different moods of the story.
Right after we discover the true nature of one of the characters (see page 130), we have this page with Abel and all the 3 sisters. There's a misunderstanding for a moment, but it doesn't last. Great storytelling.
Please check the other pieces in my gallery related to "Il Porto Proibito":
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Il Porto Proibito page 127-
Il Porto Proibito page 130-
Il Porto Proibito page 186-
Il Porto Proibito page 201-
Le Ragazze del Pillar vol.1 remarque-
Le Ragazze del Pillar vol.2 remarque-
Il Porto Proibito - Portfolio remarque-
Il Porto Proibito - Artist Edition remarque-
Il Porto Proibito remarqueThanks, Tere & Ste!
Paper size: 25 x 35 cm
