Soda
Black and white original page, Black and white illustration
A cop by night and a fake pastor by day to reassure his mother, who has a heart condition, David Salomon, known as Soda, faces the underworld of New York around the clock. While each volume tells a self-contained story, a running gag ties the entire series together. Determined to tell the truth to his mother, with whom he is forced to live, each new episode brings a fresh set of circumstances that postpones his confession once again. Published in Le Journal de Spirou from 1986 onwards, the series stood out for its dark and violent plots combined with caustic humor, quickly achieving great success. Created by Philippe Tome, the series was initially illustrated by Luc Warnant, before he handed over the artwork to Bruno Gazzotti from volume 3 onward (Dan would also take over for a two-volume story arc). Gazzotti brought a style halfway between realism and clear-line drawing, combining elegant artwork with an abundance of detail. Despite Tome’s death in 2019, the series returned in 2023 under the writing of Olivier Bocquet, confirming its cult status.
