Omnipresent in digital commerce, Amazon knows how to remain discreet about working conditions, Lénaïc Vilain has nevertheless entered a zAmazon warehouse and gives us his report In the box. History and politics Dans la boîte edited by Delcourt is written, drawn and colorized by Lénaïc Vilain. We follow the autobiographical and funny testimony of his work as an order picker in a zAmazon warehouse. If like us, you do not know this brand, you surely have a little idea of who it is. We can also make two hypotheses about this strange name. The author and the publisher wanted to avoid prosecution from the leader of global e-commerce or they also wanted to make fun of it. This sets the tone for In the Box : Denouncing Social Oppression while Amusing the Reader. 
In the box describes how the company works. Hierarchy is taboo but horizontality dominates. The employees are the zAmazonians and everyone can decide where they work. Very clear images show the work of order picker. Through packaging, we see that the company sells literally everything and often useless. When needed, executives are there to help. This space is also at the forefront of technology: a drone take-off area is under construction. Joining zAmazon is also about discovering a new language. We no longer speak of temporary agency but of partner. Each chapter title comes from a company slogan (Work Hard, Have Fun, Make History). Between "associates", we are silent.zAmazon's frames not only wield the carrot but also the stick. The slowest employees are assigned to the most physical tasks. Tensions between employees are high. After a while this aggressive management becomes absurd. An inglorious witness The author does not give himself the beautiful role at the beginning. Unemployed systematically planting all his interviews, he ends up on his couch with a beer. He is only saved by a call from his temp agency offering him to work for zAmazon. Without enthusiasm, Lénaïc Vilain starts at the bottom of the ladder because as the pull indicates, he must put the products in the box. He's not the only one, all new employees just want to recharge their employment rights. It is through this Candide that the reader enters the interior of the warehouse. No doubt scalded by the bad reputation of the company, Lénaïc Vilain fears that his identity card will be stolen as in Qatar. It must be said that under the garb of honesty, denunciation is encouraged. The employee dreams the night of the noises of the company. The difficulty also lies in the transport that exhausts Lénaïc. To illustrate this experience, Lénaïc Vilain adopts a very simple drawing. The visible features recall the sketches as if they were made during the report. The context of Dans la boîte is also special because the report takes place in the middle of Covid and the reader finds the recent past. Villain passes the interview with a mask. The floor is lined with markings to respect the sanitary distance controlled by Safety Angels. These agents appear aggressively protective. 
Get ready because In the Box is a dive into the other side of globalization. Through the author, we discover the discourse of the company zAmazon and the sanitary rules but also the reality of working conditions. The author aptly shows how difficulties at work follow the employee home and exhaust him. Find other testimonies in comics with A revolutionary feminist at the workshop and The itinerary of a bitch.
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