THROUGH THE BLACK GATE

A fantastical quest finds two children dealing with loss in this graphic novel debut by Chilean artist Cáceres.

Irene’s parents died in a fire, and she’s left the rubble of her home in Valdivia, Chile, to stay at the mist-shrouded hostel of family friend Ruth. She brings with her A Comprehensive Guide to the Graylands, a red book recovered from the ashes of Dad’s study that her cat, Moses, who seemingly came back to life after dying in the fire, led her to. It’s a book about “what happens to the living after dying.” Francis, Ruth’s guitar-playing nephew who’s fascinated by ghosts, is also grieving. When Francis accidentally lets Moses escape, the pair set off in pursuit. Ruth is convinced that her dad is trapped in Moses’ body. The cat leads them through a portal into the Graylands, the liminal space where souls wait to pass on, where fanciful oddities abound. Francis’ recently deceased musical mentor, elderly classical guitarist Sam, appears and guides them to a climactic confrontation with the monstrous Ferryman, who guards the Black Gate to the unknowable afterlife. Cáceres elegantly folds an exploration of death’s impenetrable finality into this quirky fantasy, showing how different ways of coping with grief can comfort or destroy. The illustrations highlight whimsical details of the Graylands—jewel-toned skies, an Escheresque fortress—which echo the destabilizing nature of grief. Fluffy gray-and-white Moses is an expressive and appealing companion on the surreal journey.

Poignant, insightful, and otherworldly.