Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy. All opinions are honest and my own.

The Ghost of Gaudi was my first exposure to Gaudi's work and it has since embedded itself in my mind. So distinct. Such a fascinating story. I recently learned that his Sagrada Família will be complete (initially estimated for 2026, delayed by COVID-19) and I want to plan a Barcelona trip for it.

All because of this graphic novel.

The Ghost of Gaudi is a couple years old Lion Forge release.

I wasnt sure what i was getting into here ar first. I am not a massive Art Nouveau enthusiast and I have never been to Barcelona … no surprise my experience with architect/designer Antoni Gaudi was close to nil.

Ghost of Gaudi (written by El Torres, designed and crafted by Jesus Alonso Iglesias) was eye opening. Instead of crafting the graphic novel as an educational tome, it is approached with as a murder mystery.

Student and grocery worker Toni saves a man from being hit by a car, hospitalizing herself. Those around her tell her of the similarity of her story to that of Gaudi himself and his death in that spot in 1926.

Meanwhile, murders are occuring around Barcelona at Gaudi landmarks, those dead are also tied to his legacy as an artist. Inspector Skinner visits the sites looking for a murderer, but instead finds himself entangled with Toni and her experience with what appears to be the Ghost of Antoni Gaudi himself.

The artwork was amazing. The English translation from Spanish was amazing (translated by Esther Villardon Grande).. and while I learned a great deal about the man, I was also successfully sent down a wikipedia blackhole as i needed to learn more about his genius after finishing this comic work.

This story takes you on a ride after ride throughout the backdrop of the city. The world building of the beautiful city plops you right down in the middle of it. I was wanting more with every word on every page I turned, a great read.

This graphic novel was a bit darker than I'd expected. I wouldn't classify it at all for my students. Definitely adult in design and in content. Was hoping that it would be a way to introduce Gaudi to my class, but probably not the way. Instead, as an adult, I found it an interesting read, but I didn't finish it before it was archived.

'The Ghost of Gaudi' by El Torres with art by Jesus Alonso Iglesias is a graphic novel about a weird series of murders in Barcelona around the architect Antoni Gaudi's sites.

In what seem to be two unrelated stories at first, a young woman sees what my be the ghost of Gaudi, and a police inspector is investigating very gruesome murders at the site of Gaudi's marvelous buildings. Things build as the police begin to shut down tourist sites with the discovery of more murders and the woman finds herself the possible next victim of the killer.

The art is really good. The city and buildings are detailed and amazing. The story isn't bad, but the gruesomeness of the murder scenes kind of threw me off because the gore didn't seem to need to be there. The story has a couple twists and turns.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Lion Forge, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

This book tells the story of horrendous murders that happen in Barcelona.

The art is absolutely beautiful, it feels as though we’re in Barcelona. It’s amazing how the artist was able to replicate Gaudi’s works so realistically.

The story and characters are really simple, however, this book’s still memorable because of the way Gaudi’s work is portrayed.

So, if you’re an art lover or want to know more about Barcelona, this is the book for you.

I'm not too familiar with Gaudi, and while I liked the story, I felt detached from it. Might have been a mix of the pacing and artwork.

I think Barcelona is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and Gaudi’s architecture plays and important role, so I was more than excited to read this. The graphics was nice and I enjoyed it quite a lot, but the murder/mystery didn’t have anything special, and the twist/ending was predictable, sometimes giving the impression that the whole idea/plot was a pretext to draw Gaudi’s works.

P.S. I had a big surprise in July, when visiting El Capricho de Gaudi in Comillas, to find some posters with pages from this work, made me reconsider giving it 3★ instead if 2 :)

This graphic novel is about a series of murders distributed through Gaudi’s designed building. It features several of the most emblematic monuments of Barcelona ending, of course, in the Sagrada Família.
The artwork was brilliant. The illustrations perfectly represented the buildings and their colors.
The plot was interesting but I feel like some parts could have been better. Still, I enjoyed it.
I recommend this graphic novel to everyone that is interested in Gaudi’s buildings, but mostly to horror fans because the images of the murders are very detailed and graphic.

I really enjoy this graphic novel. It is a suspenseful crime story set against the backdrop of Gaudi buildings in Barcelona. The killer takes you on a tour through the city and Gaudi's philosophy. The investigation involves a civilian, Toni and a well seasoned cop as they track down the killer. The mystery was good and solution does make sense. The artwork is really good and captures the mystery of Gaudi's architecture. This story is violent and not suited for young or sensitive readers. Enjoy

An absolutely gorgeous look through the European noir scene.

Actual rating: 4,5 stars (the artwork/subject made me round up)

I have loved Gaudí's work since I was a little girl. Every time I see one of his buildings, I feel the same excitement. Like I can find my own creativity as well as new inspirations inside his art. His connection to nature and interpretation of nature especially enchant me. So when I found this book on NetGalley I knew I had to read it & it did not disappoint.
The artwork is great! It reminds me of comics I used to read as a kid, but it still manages to portray Gaudí's art & the effect it has very well.
I liked the story. Who doesn't like a good murder mystery? From half way through I couldn't put the book down and I wanted to keep reading.
I also really liked that there were some Gaudí facts included, so you could learn about the artist as well.
Definitely recommend! :)

This graphic novel is very pleasing to read. The images are very well-drawn. The story is well-constructed, and it evolves around the figure of Antoni Gaudi and his ghost. But I think it's a little too short.

When I saw the title of this book I was very excited. I'm a big fan of Gaudi's and comics. So I felt like this book was specifically written for me. Barcelona is one of the most magical cities in Europe solely because of him. His architecture is like portals to another dimension sporadically popping up throughout the city. I can't think of another example of an architect who put his stamp on a city the way Gaudi has. He died 90 years ago and he is still transforming the city. La Sagrada Familia isn't due to be finished for another 10 years or so. He's even influenced pop culture. The designs of Tatooine in the original Star Wars were heavily influenced by the rooftop of La Pedrera, not to mention Stormtrooper helmets.

<img src="https://lifeoflieke.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/stormtroopers.jpg">
<img src="https://static.thousandwonders.net/Casa.Mil%C3%A0.original.1431.jpg">


Jesús Alonso Iglesias figure work was quite good. However I found his depictions of Gaudi's work to be sloppy and not nearly detailed enough. I felt that was supposed to be the true star of the book as they visited all of his most famous works throughout the city.

The murder mystery is a bit pedestrian. It feels like a Robert Langdon book that didn't quite make the cut. It sometimes feels almost like a framing sequence to showcase Gaudi's art.

Who doesn't love a classic murder mystery in graphic novel form?!? A crazed psychopath is leaving mutilated bodies at architect Antoni Gaudi's most famous sites. What does Gaudi's ghost have to do with it? This graphic novel by El Torres and Jesus Alonso is definitely worth a look.

Interesting trip through Barcelona! I’m not familiar with Gaudi, but my girlfriend loves his work.

I like it when a comic really stretches outside the lines of the normal. I’ve picked up several like that lately, but this one really goes beyond that into art and cosmology and the mysterious.

It was well worth the read.

From the publisher:
Someone is committing barbarous murders throughout Barcelona, focusing on locations designed by renowned visionary architect Antoni Gaudi. The police have no clues, but a young woman is thrust into the investigation by a man resembling the late Gaudi himself, led to the scenes of the crimes before they even occur… could be a precognizant ghost?

My thoughts:
Yes, this is a murder mystery and it is fascinating to use the graphic novel for this type of story. The art, by Jesus Alonso Iglesias is hauntingly beautiful. Yes, the murderer is positioning the dead bodies in different Gaudi buildings, but that is what is hauntingly beautiful. It does all the things that good graphic novel art does. It tells the story, it supports the story through tone and eye movement. It creates a complete package.

In addition, this graphic novel is un American. I don't quite know what I mean by that, except that this book by El Torres, a Spanish comic, and another recent read by the Italian cartoonist Zerocalcare (Kobane Calling) are different in the way they approach story meshed with art. There seems to be a different lens to this storytelling that I can only describe as not typical of American works or even Japanese works. I like that about this book.

Finally, what this book did was introduce me to Antoni Gaudi, a Catalan architect, THE modernist Catalan architect whose building defy structure and embrace nature's organic flow. Barcelona is moving up to my number one must see place on my bucket list because even seeing his buildings on the internet make me ache as if I am missing out on something and I am at a loss because of my inability to truly SEE.

An old man is nearly hit by a truck while crossing Gran Via, in the same spot where Gaudi was hit by a trolley. Antonia pushes him out of the way and ends up hospitalized for her efforts, but the old man disappears before medics arrive. Antonia thinks she sees the old man from time to time after that, but can’t pin him down. Maybe he’s a ghost.

Meanwhile a disemboweled corpse has been dragged into a heritage house, causing Chief Inspector Skinner to end his leave early. Of course, the house was built by Gaudi, and the day before the body was found, someone who looked like Gaudi was seen peeking at the grounds. The victim was a real estate developer. When another victim is killed (his body dumped in front of poor Antonia), Skinner deduces that the victims are chosen because they have dared to disturb Gaudi’s designs.

Catching the killer requires Skinner to learn all about Gaudi, whose architecture is scattered throughout Barcelona. The art captures Gaudi’s signature work in sort of an impressionistic way, which probably conveys its emotion better than a more photo-realistic style would manage. Gaudi’s architecture depends so much on form (for example, curved walls suggesting the waves of the nearby sea) that pictures and two dimensional representations can’t do it justice. The cartoonish art here captures the essence of Gaudi surprisingly well.

Skinner and Antonia are developed with at least a modest amount of depth. The last issue resolves all the mysteries and does so by revealing the heart and mind of a tragic character. That scene is poignant and it makes the story that precedes it worth reading. But story is actually worth reading for the loving tour of Gaudi’s Barcelona.

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