The Last Queen

By Jean-Marc Rochette. Published by Self Made Hero

Hardcover, 240 pages, colour, 2024

Snowpiercer cocreator Jean-Marc Rochette tells the story of a bear who inspires a French sculptor’s greatest work

An epic, emotional tale, The Last Queen follows Édouard Roux, a veteran of World War I whose face is left disfigured from fighting in the trenches. Édouard takes refuge in the studio of animal sculptor Jeanne Sauvage, who gives him a new face in the form of a prosthetic mask. The pair embark on an intense romantic relationship. She introduces him to the artistic community of Montmartre, Paris, and Édouard shows her the majestic mountains of his homeland, the Vercors Massif. He tells her the story of the last queen to live in the region, a bear he saw killed as a child.