Des belles et des bêtes

The French series Des belles et des bêtes, launched in 1986 by publisher Vents d'Ouest, is a single-issue comic that blends fantasy and social commentary. It is most associated with writer and artist Jean-Claude Forest, known for his sophisticated, often provocative storytelling. The book's title plays on the classic beauty-and-beast dynamic, offering a distinctive, standalone vision within the European bande dessinée tradition. Its significance lies in being a late-career work from a major figure in French comics, encapsulating his signature themes in a compact, self-contained story.