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La Grande Odalisque #1
The Grande Odalisque
In this graphic novel, two women art thieves bring in a third wheel for their biggest caper yet.
Alex and Carole, friends since childhood, are now (literal) partners in crime. But the heist - to steal the Ingres painting The Grande Odalisque from the Louvre in Paris - is too much for the duo to handle, so they bring in Clarence, a bureaucrat's son with a price on his head by a Mexican drug cartel and, more importantly, an arms dealer. Next is Sam, a stunt motorcyclist and boxer by trade, who proves trigger happy with tranquilizer darts. Using soda can smoke bombs, rocket launchers, and hang gliders, Alex, Carole, and Sam set off a set of circumstances that results in a battle with the French Special Forces - and their partnership, which was on the rocks, will never be the same again. Ruppert and Mulot, two of the most innovative comic creators in the world, team up with multiple Angouleme prize winner Bastien Vives to bring you this impossibly funny, violent, and sexy action-packed thriller.
Alex and Carole, friends since childhood, are now (literal) partners in crime. But the heist - to steal the Ingres painting The Grande Odalisque from the Louvre in Paris - is too much for the duo to handle, so they bring in Clarence, a bureaucrat's son with a price on his head by a Mexican drug cartel and, more importantly, an arms dealer. Next is Sam, a stunt motorcyclist and boxer by trade, who proves trigger happy with tranquilizer darts. Using soda can smoke bombs, rocket launchers, and hang gliders, Alex, Carole, and Sam set off a set of circumstances that results in a battle with the French Special Forces - and their partnership, which was on the rocks, will never be the same again. Ruppert and Mulot, two of the most innovative comic creators in the world, team up with multiple Angouleme prize winner Bastien Vives to bring you this impossibly funny, violent, and sexy action-packed thriller.
124 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
8 people are currently reading
552 people want to read
About the author
Bastien Vivès
108 books272 followersBastien Vivès is a Parisian who has drawn or collaborated on more than a dozen graphic novels since his published debut in 2006, including most recently The Butchery (Fantagraphics, 2021). The Angouleme Comics Festival granted Vivès the “Revelation” Award in 2009 and the prize for best series in 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
April 20, 2021
A wild heist adventure featuring Alex and Carole, who are contracted to steal the Ingres painting The Grande Odalisque from the Louvre in Paris. They also hire Clarence, an arms dealer, and Sam, a stunt motorcyclist and boxer. That's about it, though the ending is ambiguous about what actually happens to the painting, and to Carole.
This is a production of French comics stars Ruppert and Mulot, and Bastien Vives (The Last Man series, also a sexy adventure story), who know how to make thrillers--violent, and sexy, with terrific, delicate line drawings and lovely color in this gorgeous, oversized book. Maybe the vibe is Bond revisited with three beautiful women as leads. Very entertaining and fun, though short, so there's not so much depth in the plot nor characterization. In the very conclusion we get backstory on how Carole and Alex met; Carole watched as Alex dumped a guy off her bike into the Seine. They decided to work together, to our benefit. On to part two, Olympia!
This is a production of French comics stars Ruppert and Mulot, and Bastien Vives (The Last Man series, also a sexy adventure story), who know how to make thrillers--violent, and sexy, with terrific, delicate line drawings and lovely color in this gorgeous, oversized book. Maybe the vibe is Bond revisited with three beautiful women as leads. Very entertaining and fun, though short, so there's not so much depth in the plot nor characterization. In the very conclusion we get backstory on how Carole and Alex met; Carole watched as Alex dumped a guy off her bike into the Seine. They decided to work together, to our benefit. On to part two, Olympia!
August 1, 2017
I read both books in this series because I love Vives' artwork in the Lastman series. This series is ok, the art is nice but the storyline is quite weak and the characters are caricatured. Has the aspects of a silly heist movie and this has its charms, and I do enjoy the cast of characters who are quirky, but overall too many plot-holes and the narrative itself lacks strength and interest imo. It's too slap-dashy and fluffy which steals any dramatic tension and heft from the story (I suppose this isn't really what the story is going for anyways). Also I'm probably judging/grading this on a harder curve with the top-notch Lastman setting a high bar of expectations and wrecking the grading curve. But what can I say?! that's the price you pay for setting such a high bar and manifesting extraordinary level of talent in other great works :) (also Vives did the artwork, not sure how much writing he did but still I judge)
Still, worth checking out if you enjoy this type of thing or enjoy Vives' work (one of my favorite contemporary comic artists/stylists). And I'm very much looking forward to checking out Vives' most recent work Une Soeur.
Still, worth checking out if you enjoy this type of thing or enjoy Vives' work (one of my favorite contemporary comic artists/stylists). And I'm very much looking forward to checking out Vives' most recent work Une Soeur.
May 12, 2021
A campy, over-the-top, and fun crime caper book featuring a duo of female art thieves who are reckless as hell in their pursuit of classical paintings in the Musée d'Orsay and the Louvre. Alex is the wild and unreliable one. Carole is the competent one who risks everything again and again to cover for Alex. And for their biggest job yet, they'll need to recruit a new member.
The colorist works overtime to compensate for the scribbly and barely there line work of the trio of artists who write and draw.
The colorist works overtime to compensate for the scribbly and barely there line work of the trio of artists who write and draw.
September 30, 2022
Closer to a 3 than a 5.
This was a fun heist romp. We follow two women who specialize in stealing art pieces from museums and selling them to the highest bidder. They eventually team up with another woman and go on a daring heist of The Grande Odalisque from the Louvre in Paris.
It's a fast-paced fun story but has some serious character moments that explore friendship.
This was a fun heist romp. We follow two women who specialize in stealing art pieces from museums and selling them to the highest bidder. They eventually team up with another woman and go on a daring heist of The Grande Odalisque from the Louvre in Paris.
It's a fast-paced fun story but has some serious character moments that explore friendship.
May 13, 2021
Update 2021: Just wanted to edit this review to add that this title has been translated into English by Fantagraphics. I read this in the original French text in 2018 but I'm so glad that this will now reach a wider audience.
I picked this up from the library solely because it has Bastien Vives' name on it. I discovered Vives in 2014 when I read Polina and became enamored with his beautiful and fluid line work. In 2015, I picked up the amazing Last Man: The Stranger and became kind of obsessed. I've sinced vowed to pick up anything Vives' touches.
Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about - this title was so fun! (Don't let the eerie cover art put you off - it really doesn't fit the tone of this comic at all.) We follow three young women who steal and sell famous paintings who are given a job to steal La Grande Odalisque ...and that's literally the whole plot. It's not a lot, but there are some fun asides along the way (like saving their weapons dealer from a Mexican drug cartel). Vives & co don't stray too far from the tropes one would find in a heist story, but it read as very tongue-in-cheek to me and often had me chuckling. Things do get a bit serious in the last half and the events that transpire are so ridiculous and implausible, but again, there was a level of self-awareness to the text that my qualms were negligible.
The ending is kind of vague, but it's made me anxious to read the second book Olympia. As other reviews have noted, the characterization in this first book is a bit thin (though I'm surprised how much was packed into the short page count tbh), but I'm excited to get reacquainted with these characters.
I picked this up from the library solely because it has Bastien Vives' name on it. I discovered Vives in 2014 when I read Polina and became enamored with his beautiful and fluid line work. In 2015, I picked up the amazing Last Man: The Stranger and became kind of obsessed. I've sinced vowed to pick up anything Vives' touches.
Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about - this title was so fun! (Don't let the eerie cover art put you off - it really doesn't fit the tone of this comic at all.) We follow three young women who steal and sell famous paintings who are given a job to steal La Grande Odalisque ...and that's literally the whole plot. It's not a lot, but there are some fun asides along the way (like saving their weapons dealer from a Mexican drug cartel). Vives & co don't stray too far from the tropes one would find in a heist story, but it read as very tongue-in-cheek to me and often had me chuckling. Things do get a bit serious in the last half and the events that transpire are so ridiculous and implausible, but again, there was a level of self-awareness to the text that my qualms were negligible.
The ending is kind of vague, but it's made me anxious to read the second book Olympia. As other reviews have noted, the characterization in this first book is a bit thin (though I'm surprised how much was packed into the short page count tbh), but I'm excited to get reacquainted with these characters.
December 2, 2023
This is pure escapist fun - served up in a low-key graphic style reminiscent of Tintin comics, flat, simplified drawing but excellent and highly effective nonetheless. A trio of fearless females - youthful bien sur - takes on society in general in order to steal expensive or perhaps even priceless paintings from famous Paris art museums such as the Louvre. The story is a classic heist tale but transposed onto a female milieu - and in that, it's oddly pleasing to see the lithe but acrobatic girls take on French police and special forces, Mexican cartel members, etc., and actually win. The surprising reversal of the usual power inequality is mostly accomplished with minimum bloodshed - well, that's not exactly true although some thefts are pulled off by temporarily disabling guards etc. using tranquilizer darts. Other times though the protagonists who are evidently skilled at all sorts of fighting methods such as judo as well as able to think on their feet and improvise if need be, do end up blasting some bad guys, the Mexican cartel members, in order to rescue a Frenchman they are holding hostage. The text is extremely simple and straightforward - and the drawing matches the economy of words, in being wonderfully simplified yet detailed at the same time (such as in representations of ornate buildings around Paris - you know exactly what the drawings represent because you've seen photos of these buildings hundreds if not thousands of time, so your memory supplies the details of the architectural ornamentation). This graphic novel is just wonderful - and also has a philosophical message aside from the ¨action¨ aspect of it, but I'll refrain from mentioning what it is since that would really spoil reading it for anyone who reads this review. The girls, despite their partying, are also surprisingly insightful about life and what they want out of life - you get glimpses of their introspection and thinking here and there, and it does add to the characterization of each protagonist. So they are smart, powerful, and manage to pull off spectacular art heists - a la the movie Topkapi (although there are other movies that also cover the same territory, and even of course spoofs of the genre). I like that for once females are put into roles that are traditionally held by males, and prove to be just as brave, strong, and smart. At least the fantasy conceit of the graphic novel is just as satisfying as a heist movie, but possibly more so, given the pleasant surprise that the ¨gang¨ of sophisticated burglars consists of gals. I definitely will look for more instalments of the adventures of the youthful trio - perhaps they will use their ill-gotten gains (if they do take over the Mexican drug cartel) for philanthropic purposes as they discuss at one point. This graphic novel was great fun - and is guaranteed to make you laugh in amazement at their escapades, at least once!
December 18, 2023
Translated from the French for the English-speaking market, I only found this because I recently saw (and really enjoyed) the Netflix movie, Wingwomen (also French, dubbed), which proved to be a very pleasant surprise (at least for me).
Contrary to my normal biases, in this case I enjoyed the movie far more than the book. (OK, that's highly unusual, so I'll just tip my hat to the team that brought the story the screen). The movie, which some are pitching as a modern-day Thelma and Louise (but, frankly, that doesn't resonate with me), worked because of ... to my mind ... the cast and the chemistry between the small ensemble of actors. Also, and plenty were not as amused by this, but I found the humor-to-violence juxtaposition unexpectedly entertaining (in a kind of Quentin Tarantino kind of way). OK, the movie was also beautiful, but, on that score, I found the art aspect of the graphic novel more compelling than the story or character development or the dialogue.
Contrary to my normal biases, in this case I enjoyed the movie far more than the book. (OK, that's highly unusual, so I'll just tip my hat to the team that brought the story the screen). The movie, which some are pitching as a modern-day Thelma and Louise (but, frankly, that doesn't resonate with me), worked because of ... to my mind ... the cast and the chemistry between the small ensemble of actors. Also, and plenty were not as amused by this, but I found the humor-to-violence juxtaposition unexpectedly entertaining (in a kind of Quentin Tarantino kind of way). OK, the movie was also beautiful, but, on that score, I found the art aspect of the graphic novel more compelling than the story or character development or the dialogue.
October 21, 2021
Carole and Alex, best friends and thieves, plot to steal Le Grande Odalisque from the Louvre in this handsome, but ultimately flat graphic novel. The duo are hedonistic to the extreme, with Carole following Alex's whims literally around the world, regardless of whether those whims advance their current needs (for example, there's a lengthy plot break in Mexico to...kill some drug lords?).
While the numerous stalled moments in the plot are forgettable, the actual thievery at the end is remarkably cinematic. Bastien Vives' art works hard to sell a threadbare plot (his Last Man series is a personal favorite). I feel like the authors wrote The Grand Odalisque on a lark, and then had to tune it up into a real story when the excellent art arrived.
While the numerous stalled moments in the plot are forgettable, the actual thievery at the end is remarkably cinematic. Bastien Vives' art works hard to sell a threadbare plot (his Last Man series is a personal favorite). I feel like the authors wrote The Grand Odalisque on a lark, and then had to tune it up into a real story when the excellent art arrived.
August 26, 2022
Briskly paced. Beautifully designed. Gleefully amoral. Light as a feather.
Read
March 2, 2022this came at me fast and it was crazy
November 1, 2021
Beautiful art, odd story. Review to come!
August 25, 2021
The Grande Odalisque is a French graphic novel, translated in English by Fantagraphics, about a couple of art thieves, that are being paid to steal the famous painting of the same name from the Louvre. On the way to achieve this, they team up with an arms/drug dealer and a motorcycle stunt rider, they travel to Mexico, they even become drug dealers themselves.
All this stuff is actually most of the story, nothing more to go there. There is no actual character development either, however, there is a small story in the end about how our two main protagonists first met. The end leaves some questions unanswered, but there is a second tome in the series (maybe they will get answered there).
As far as the graphics are concerned, I really liked the very rich colour palette, the scenery and backgrounds are nice, too, and quite detailed at times. As for the faces, sometimes you can see the feelings being portrayed on them as if they were real. On the same time, in other panels, they look like they are empty.
Despite The Grande Odalisque not being very special, it did appeal to me and I will gladly read the second tome too.
All this stuff is actually most of the story, nothing more to go there. There is no actual character development either, however, there is a small story in the end about how our two main protagonists first met. The end leaves some questions unanswered, but there is a second tome in the series (maybe they will get answered there).
As far as the graphics are concerned, I really liked the very rich colour palette, the scenery and backgrounds are nice, too, and quite detailed at times. As for the faces, sometimes you can see the feelings being portrayed on them as if they were real. On the same time, in other panels, they look like they are empty.
Despite The Grande Odalisque not being very special, it did appeal to me and I will gladly read the second tome too.
August 12, 2018
I can't find the exact version of the one I read, it had been translated into English.
At first look, the art is a bit rough but, oddly, it works. Well, it does for a bit and then it gets dull.
These aren’t very smart art thieves.
Chessboxing?! What? They could have at least showed us what that meant.
The art is flat, that’s what’s bothering me about this comic.
This reads like a lesbian fantasy from a man’s point of view.
They are really, really bad art thieves but the Louvre theft was fun to watch.
This was a weird little comic.
At first look, the art is a bit rough but, oddly, it works. Well, it does for a bit and then it gets dull.
These aren’t very smart art thieves.
Chessboxing?! What? They could have at least showed us what that meant.
The art is flat, that’s what’s bothering me about this comic.
This reads like a lesbian fantasy from a man’s point of view.
They are really, really bad art thieves but the Louvre theft was fun to watch.
This was a weird little comic.
July 11, 2019
Lo leí por el arte de Vivés, que es bastante bueno para reflejar la acción, movimientos y actitudes. Sin embargo la historia no es muy buena. Las chicas resuelven las cosas de manera bastante fácil, saltan de un lado a otro, se supone que realizan un gran plan para asaltar el Louvre, pero al final el plan resulta bastante simple. Y las motivaciones de las protagonistas saltan de un lado para otro. Entretiene y sobresale por el dibujo, pero nada más.
June 16, 2022
Could immediately tell this was written by a man. Could not finish the book, very cliche.
March 6, 2021
Three amoral art thieves, all women, caught up in a classy heist caper. The action is hilariously over the top and the compositions are sumptuous throughout. No one does bandes dessinées like the French, which makes sense: they turned our pulpy comic books into art and made it their own. Well, with the help of the Belgians. We’d be nowhere without Tintin.
February 9, 2022
Totally Spies but R rated.
July 1, 2023
We love a good heist!!
August 9, 2023
I 👏 love 👏 graphic 👏 novels 👏
this was very fun and very fast
this was very fun and very fast
September 16, 2021
I hope they don't make this book into a movie. It would make an awful movie. But it sure was a fun comic book.
November 12, 2024
This was actually very fun, the characters were developed more deeply than the typical spy story and I easily read it all in one sitting. Curious to read the next one, got it ready to pick up at the library!
April 26, 2024
Beautiful pulp!
Watch my top 15 Bastien Vivès here:
https://youtu.be/yzqUv-k79Mk
November 1, 2021
You can read my full review on No Flying No Tights
This was ok, but I've seen stronger stuff from Fantagraphics.
This was ok, but I've seen stronger stuff from Fantagraphics.
March 30, 2022
Visually stunning. The concept is great, but I am not so sure about the way it was delivered.
August 21, 2024
ich find bewaffnete motorradfahrende sexy queere frauen, die grosse dinge klauen, ja auch supi, aber hier haperts an der umsetzung
August 31, 2018
If you read enough comic books you'll finally read a comic caper.
This is the story of two high class and proficient art thieves and all the action segments where they are about their robbing are first class and larger than life.
The key to this story is one of relationships. One-character remarks it isn't so much what you do in life that matter but rather who you do it with. This is a fine ethos; it is a pity that their relationship is based on the high jinks of daring raids on art galleries. This is played for laughs however, and humour is the clever thread that binds the whole piece wonderfully together.
Some clear adult themes this is not aimed at children but it will entertain and bring a smile to an adult audience. The relationships are the real bonus for me as a duo not fighting crime but taking it a notch up with the biggest heist imaginable to steal The Grande Odalisque from the Louvre.
A perfect graphic novel for action, fun with a female pair who entertain and work so well together.
This is the story of two high class and proficient art thieves and all the action segments where they are about their robbing are first class and larger than life.
The key to this story is one of relationships. One-character remarks it isn't so much what you do in life that matter but rather who you do it with. This is a fine ethos; it is a pity that their relationship is based on the high jinks of daring raids on art galleries. This is played for laughs however, and humour is the clever thread that binds the whole piece wonderfully together.
Some clear adult themes this is not aimed at children but it will entertain and bring a smile to an adult audience. The relationships are the real bonus for me as a duo not fighting crime but taking it a notch up with the biggest heist imaginable to steal The Grande Odalisque from the Louvre.
A perfect graphic novel for action, fun with a female pair who entertain and work so well together.
Read
June 15, 2025Holy lord of male gazes!
This is a very lazy "Totally Spies" (remember cartoon network?) rip-off to the point the three heist girls even have the same names. And for real the male gaze on it is so hard it made me burst out laughing a couple of times. You gotta love it when men drawing women results in anatomy acrobatics but hey, we know boobs & booty have a will of their own when a man is holding the pencil. No credible story, no personality besides what's useful for fanservice purposes (crazy sex drive single strong woman trope, naive submissive hysteria trope, tragic story lesbian trope). It really took an effort to ruin the stunning artwork.
This is a very lazy "Totally Spies" (remember cartoon network?) rip-off to the point the three heist girls even have the same names. And for real the male gaze on it is so hard it made me burst out laughing a couple of times. You gotta love it when men drawing women results in anatomy acrobatics but hey, we know boobs & booty have a will of their own when a man is holding the pencil. No credible story, no personality besides what's useful for fanservice purposes (crazy sex drive single strong woman trope, naive submissive hysteria trope, tragic story lesbian trope). It really took an effort to ruin the stunning artwork.
November 27, 2022
C/W:
The concept of The Grande Odalisque was incredible -- a group of female friends engaging in art heists, count me in! -- but the execution was underwhelming. There was no character development for any of the main characters, which made it hard to care what happened to them.
The concept of The Grande Odalisque was incredible -- a group of female friends engaging in art heists, count me in! -- but the execution was underwhelming. There was no character development for any of the main characters, which made it hard to care what happened to them.
June 11, 2021
The anti-Charlie’s Angels. They’re just as specialized, deadly and capable of breaking in, or out, of any situation—- but these ladies are much more chill, into drugs, sex and helping cute arms dealers when they’re kidnapped by a Mexican cartel.
I’ll def read the next book. This was a quick, breezy and fun read.
I’ll def read the next book. This was a quick, breezy and fun read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews