Moi René Tardi prisonnier de guerre au Stalag IIB #[3]

The third volume of Tardi's deeply personal series brings us "Après la guerre," with a cover by Jacques Tardi that is quietly striking in its restraint: a gaunt, grey-coated soldier stands beside a small child bundled in red against a backdrop of half-timbered German buildings, the muted palette conveying both the chill of postwar Europe and the emotional distance of a man still carrying war within him. This 2018 Casterman release continues Tardi's intimate, autobiographical exploration of his father René's experience as a prisoner of war at Stalag IIB, now turning its gaze toward the difficult work of returning to civilian life. It's a rare and moving work — measured, honest, and drawn with the kind of quiet authority that only comes from telling a story that truly belongs to you.