One of the UK’s finest comics artists, Simon Gane, lives in Bath. Today he had a signing at the local comics shop, and I went along to say hello. What I was mainly looking to pick up was Dark Rain [buy isbn=”9781848568440″], the graphic novel that Simon has just produced in collaboration with Mat Johnson. It is a fine piece of work — a thriller set in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. What I was most impressed by, however, was Paris [buy isbn=”9781593620813″]. Published by SLG in San José, this is a delightful story of a lesbian love affair between Juliet, an American art student, and Deborah, a rich English girl. It is set in the 1950s so the social attitudes it portrays are a bit antedivulvian at times, but they are spot on for the English upper classes. Because what draws the two girls together is their common love of art, Watson and Gane are able to pay tribute to many great artists. Juliet and Deborah visit the Lourve together, and tucked in the corner of one frame is a small boy reading Tintin. There’s also love for Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Those of you who are into fantasy art might like this.