The vibrant colors--violets, greens, peaches-to-reds--belie a shrouded premise involving chaos, secrecy and even potential murder in The Phantom Scientist by Robin Cousin. The French comics creator/publisher makes his intriguing English-language debut, made possible by prodigious translator Edward Gauvin.
Armed and masked military escorts deliver Martin Sorokin, the director of Institute no. 4, to the Institute for the Study of Complex and Dynamic Systems--and then leave with a warning: "Try to handle things better than the guy before you. It was a disaster area when we showed up." His (late?) predecessor's video lays out Martin's tasks: to populate 24 research labs over six years, with solid results anticipated from residents in the seventh year. Six years pass, and that 24th scientist, Stéphane, who specializes in "morphogenesis," moves into the last empty space in Building F. He joins Louise, a linguist, and Vilhem, who's on the verge of harnessing the future. Missing, however, is the building's first-floor inhabitant, whose research solving the P versus NP problem in theoretical computer science could be linked to his disappearance. Stéphane just wants to continue his plant work, but he can't ignore the encroaching dangers.
Cousin's crisp lines, striking hues and exacting panels offer an inviting visual simplicity that contrasts with the heady references to structures, fractals and proofs. In the midst of showcasing scientific acrobatics, Cousin also cleverly exposes how institutional expectations can turn, if not deadly, then certainly debilitating. "Publish or perish" just might be a literal threat. Comprehension might feel elusive for readers who aren't mathematicians, but Cousin's illuminating artistry reveals rewarding algorithms for graphic enjoyment. --Terry Hong, BookDragon