Christin & Bilal - The town that didn't exist [CBR]

From book: "Do we really want our dreams fulfilled? And, when given everything wished for, what is life like?
This docufantasy about a small town saved from disasrer and puShed into utopia provokes such questions.
The story is framed by a boy’s two contrasting dreams of utopia. The first, a majestic otherworldly city filled with surreal amusements; the second, a mundane but familiar working class town. The dramatic shift of the child’s fantasies results from a remarkable offèr accepted by the people of his town. The factories that are the life blood of the town are about to close, despite efforts by the striking workers. When the owner, the aged founder of a multimillion dollar empire, suddenly dies, the town expects little help from his heir, an invalid granddaughter. In fact, the enigmatic lady also has a dream. Her determination and money create a new town...
The Town That Didn’t Exist."

From Publishers Weekly: "Christin, a French novelist, and Bilal ( Exterminator 17 ) have produced a story of class conflict transformed by a benevolent mistress and visionary technology. The tale is set in a decaying French industrial hamlet called Jadencourt. As the town's corporate patriarch lies dying, the workers in his factories go on strike and the managers and executives from his global conglomerate gather to await his death and claim control of the huge empire. But the mogul's sole heir, an invalid daughter, surprises everyone: she buys out her executive rivals and confronts the town and union leaders with a fantastic scheme to use the corporation's immense wealth to build a new Jadencourt. The reborn city, completely domed in plastic, is designed to provide for every inhabitant. Bilal's drawings, as always, are impressively rendered, his color muted and melancholic. Despite its labored pace and sometimes predictable characterizations, this work documents the provincial working classes while highlighting the disillusion and social vacuity inherent in utopian schemes."