The Day That... The Bus Left Without Her (Volume 1)

To find your way, you sometimes have to take many detours. An optimistic coming-of-age story.

The day the bus left without her, Clementine finds herself stuck in a peculiar country grocery store, far from everything... but never closer to finding what she's looking for: answers to her existential doubts.

The Zen stories of Antoine, the incredible grocer, the experience of Chantal the writer, the passing of Thomas the CEO-hiker, will irrevocably change Clementine's view of life.

Like each of these characters, the young woman will try to find her path to happiness.

Even if, like all paths, it sometimes takes strange detours...

✨ Review from the Old Grimoire Bookstore

With "The Day When... The bus left without her," Beka and Marko deliver a coming-of-age comic book that proves the ninth art can be a vehicle for wisdom and transformation. The creative duo succeeds in the delicate challenge of conveying profound philosophical teachings in an accessible and visually captivating format. The narrative device of the "missed bus" becomes a powerful metaphor for those moments of rupture that, far from being failures, turn out to be doors to transformation. The country grocery store transforms into an initiatory space, a third place where Clementine meets her teachers: Antoine the Zen grocer, Chantal the writer, Thomas the CEO-hiker, each embodying a facet of the contemporary quest for meaning. Beka skillfully weaves these encounters as lessons that illuminate the heroine's path, creating a choral structure that enriches the narrative. Marko's drawing, both soft and expressive, creates a benevolent atmosphere that invites reflection without ever being moralizing. The authors succeed in addressing big existential questions – the meaning of life, happiness, the search for one's path – with lightness and optimism, proving that wisdom can be joyful. The concept of "detours" as an integral part of the journey deeply resonates with Taoist and Zen teachings on accepting the winding path of life. A comic book that appeals as much to adults searching for meaning as to young readers discovering philosophical questions. An inspiring story that reminds us that sometimes, missing your bus is the best thing that can happen to us. This comic book naturally finds its place at the Old Grimoire, where we celebrate initiatory tales that transform setbacks into opportunities for awakening.