Well-known for his ability to blend sexuality, romance and tragedy, in Déviances (Deviances) Bernardo Muñoz tells ten stories of erotic transgression. Déviances includes several tales from the 1999 collection Canicules (Heatwaves), published in the Selen présente series by Vents d’Ouest. We include here just four of the stories in this new volume – La voisine (The Neighbour), Jeu de mains (Handplay), Du bon usage de la vidéo (On the Correct Use of Video), and Hymne aux lolos (In Praise of Boobs). A knowledge of French helps understanding, but is not essential – the lover telling her inexperienced new partner that he hasn’t washed his bits properly and then having to say ‘Doucement, idiot! J’ai dit doucement … Arrête!’ as he attacks her nether regions will be familiar to almost everyone.

In the introduction to Déviances, the comic author Hernàn Migoya writes glowingly of Bernardo Muñoz’s achievement:

Bernardo Muñoz is truly a great artist, and Déviances is probably the best erotic comic of the last twenty years. At least, the best I’ve read, and by far my favourite.
     Déviances definitely lives up to its name. As well as the usual subjects such as voyeurism, exhibitionism and nymphomania, much less common ones appear, including incest, rape and necrophilia. Bernardo Muñoz has managed to illustrate these themes brilliantly. Many authors would not venture there, as it is so difficult to explore these topics in a society that has become much more uptight than it will ever admit, though it is simply the fact that these things exist.
     What is also worth highlighting is the successful coexistence of humour and eroticism, which Bernardo Muñoz proves to us is possible without sacrificing the slightest erotic detail. He also has the great talent of treating his subject realistically, without the narrative and stereotypical mystifications that the genre too often imposes on us.
     Every reader will enjoy the juicy content of this sumptuous comic. Everyone will find their own favourite stories and favourite moments.

Déviances is published by Tabou.