The Association of French Comic Critics and Journalists (ACBD) has published 10 essential readings for the summer of 2025. So far this year, three familiar American books have been attracting the attention of unprecedented organizations, under a tree where Patrick Holvas sees.
Officially unveiled over the weekend at the Amiens Comic Festival, ACBD has selected these 10 “required” 2025 titles via a vote of 96 active members based in French-language media in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada. This annual list coincides with summer holidays and early indicators of what books that won awards later this year write.
Posting on their website, ACBD said (translated via Deepl)
“During the year, journalists from the Association of Comic Book Critics and Journalists (ACBD) have the opportunity to read thousands of comic books. They want to help their readers navigate the vast number of new releases, which will help them choose comics to take their time off.
Two of the three familiar titles were not released much in English, but this year it was released in French from January 1st to May 31st. Under the Tree No One Sees (IDW, 2024) made her French debut at the manga/YA Publishing Company Ankama. That said, Monsieur Toussaint Louverture is the French publisher of Emile Ferris, and my favourite one is the monsters that have been very critical and commercially committed in the country.
The Nice House by the Sea was first published in English by DC Black Label on a single issue between July 2024 and March 2025, with the collection being shelved in the US earlier this month. The French version of Urban Comics was actually announced in April, with both Tynion and Bueno doing signing tours. Interestingly, the Tynion and The Nice House… series have attracted critical acclaim and public attention in the French comics market, and it looks down on our material widely. French comic magazine DBD gave Tynion a cover feature (very rare in French dedicated comics media) and compared him to Stephen King.
Currently, there are no translations online for any of the remaining seven titles, but as Magnetic Press partnered with Label 619 and brought the entire catalog into English, it is possible that Shin Zero from Mathieu Bablet & Guillaume Singelin will appear sooner or later.
Among the eclectic mix of the remaining 2025 titles is fantasy. Ioancavage tells two genre stories in one, from the front and back covers. There’s not much to see in traditional publishing and his art looks great.
Cibilin: Chronicle of Escort Girls (Cibilin, Crinics d’une Escort Girls) is the debut work of animator Sixtindano, based on fictional works based on interviews and testimonies. The story follows the 19-year-old protagonist, an architecture student during the day and a call girl at night.
According to her Dano publisher (translated via Deepl):
“In an elegant ink and charcoal painting, (Dano) portrays the existential issues of the transition from childhood to adulthood, the exploration of femininity and power relations in a society characterized by patriarchy and capitalism. Through her scripts and illustrations, the young artist has created a surprising modern story.
Tourous de Mémoires (Tr. ‘Memory Lapses’) has an interesting premise. You can watch the drama as various political parties come together and after the death of the celebrity photographer, they are joined together to erect monuments to the victims of the 1954-62 Algerian war.
ACBD’s 10 Essential Summer 2025 Reading
10 Essentials of ACBD under Trees Nobody Seen by Patrick Horvath (Ankama) 10 Essentials of 2025 Summer 2025 (Listed in Alphabetical Order) – Yoann Kavege (Bubble Edition) originally published by IDW Fantasy, the English by DC Black Label de Pierre et d’os (Tr. ‘Stone & Bone’), by Jean-Paul Krassinsky; Bérengère Cournut (Dupuis) Les Poissons, Eux, Ne Pleurent Pas (Tr. ‘Fish Do Not Cry’), Laurent Galandon & Jean-Denis Pendanx (Daniel Maghen) Shin Zero Vol. 1, based on the novels of Mathieu Bablet & Guillaume Singelin (Rue de Sèvres – Label 619), Sibylline, Chroniques D’Une Escort Girl (Tr. ‘Sibylline – Chronicle of Escort Girl’), Sixtine Dano (Glénat) La Terre Verte (Tr. ‘The Green Land’) Trous de Mémoires (Tr. ‘Memory Lapses’), Nicolas Juncker (Le Lombard) Watership Down, James Sturm & Joe Sutphin, Richard Adams (Monsieur Toussaint Louverture) It was first published in English.
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