With Vieille, Delphine Panique places at the heart of the narrative a character we usually barely notice: a very old woman, with no other name than the one society reduces her to. She moves slowly, clutters the sidewalks, inconveniences those in a hurry, amuses or bothers, but stubbornly refuses to be erased. Collected in an album by Misma, this book brings together strips first published in the magazines Nicole and Aristide to create a portrait that is at once cruel, funny, and profoundly political.
The author overturns the usual perspective on female aging. Her heroine is neither a wise nor endearing figure: she grumbles, observes, provokes, and responds. Beneath this biting tone, however, the graphic novel reveals something far more than simple satire: an entire life, marked by loneliness, a changing body, memories that resurface in different ways, and the social violence inherent in aging as a woman.
A tough heroine, far from any reassuring image
The book is striking first and foremost for its rejection of embellishment. Delphine Panique draws a hairy, slumped, sometimes dripping old woman, almost grotesque at times, but always intensely present. It is precisely here that the graphic novel finds its strength: it restores substance to a body that our era would render invisible or acceptable only if it remains elegant, thin, and discreet.
Through her wanderings and thoughts, Vieille contrasts the rhythm of her aging body with that of a world obsessed with speed, efficiency, and youth. The album doesn't seek to soften the reader's heart; it prefers to provoke them. This woman, whom one might be tempted to categorize as either pitying or forgetful, constantly returns to occupy space and impose her voice.
A funny, tough, and very accurate book about women's aging
But Vieille doesn't stop at the question of age. Throughout its pages, Delphine Panique also takes stock of a life marked by societal pressures, sexist violence, and the wear and tear of a womanhood that doesn't end with menopause. The book then broadens: a poignant meditation on what it means to have lived through the decades as a woman, with all the humiliations, sacrifices, and hard-won clarity that entails.
The artwork perfectly complements this project. The shapes are rough, the colors harsh, the lines seemingly simple yet highly deliberate. The whole thing constantly shifts from the trivial to the poetic, from gags to a kind of muted melancholy. It's this blend that makes the album so unique: Vieille makes you laugh, makes you uncomfortable, and then touches you where you least expect it.
Published by Misma, the album confirms Delphine Panique's very personal style: dry humor, tenderness without sentimentality, and a rare ability to transform a rejected figure into an unforgettable character.
