Les Cités obscures

Benoît Peeters and François Schuiten’s Les Cités obscures is a visionary, decades-spanning series from Belgian publisher Casterman that builds a richly interconnected fictional universe of surreal, dreamlike city-states. Each album explores a different metropolis—from the labyrinthine, vertical Urbi et Orbi to the oceanic Brüsel—linked by the wandering architect Eugen Robick and a shared, melancholic sense of wonder. The series matters as a landmark of European bande dessinée, blending meticulous architectural fantasy with philosophical reflection on memory, technology, and urban identity. Since 1983, its 18 issues have created a singular, immersive world that rewards both casual readers and devoted explorers.