“Pterror Over Paris and The Eiffel Tower Demon” by Jacques Tardi

French heroine, Adèle Blanc-Sec uncovers a series of wacky mysteries in pre-World War I Paris.

Psst: My boyfriend/book model is so cute!

Some people read books for characters they can relate to. Not me. I like Adèle Blanc-Sec (in part) because I cannot relate to her temperament in the slightest. She’s prickly as sin, cool as a cucumber, and does not suffer fools gladly (though she suffers plenty of fools). She maintains a sternly knitted brow whilst wearing disguises, tracking pterosaurs, and uncovering secret societies. Seriously impressive.

Tardi’s art work is beautiful- strong lines and nice, rich colors. There are some good twists and turns but I enjoyed the silliness of the stories most of all. A lot of scenes are funnier and weirder because they’re drawn so… prettily. Lastly, Adèle has a sweet home: striped walls, brass bed frame, deep bathtub (I like to make believe everyone in Paris at the time had similar dwellings).