Results tagged “Jean Van Hamme” from Birmingham Mail - Speech Balloon

Lady S: Here's to Suzie!
By Jean Van Hamme
& Phillipe Aymonde
Cinebook

ESPIONAGE THRILLER and broken-hearted schoolgirl crushes? Only Jean Van Hamme could make such a book work!

Lady S. is an intriguing comic book to present to an English speaking readership.

On the one hand its lead character has an origin akin to Peter O'Donnell's classic Modesty Blaise newspaper strip re-engineered for the modern era.

Whereas, on the other there's curious feeling that if British publishers hadn't preferred to profit to by producing cheap magazine fodder and hadn't given up on producing comics for girls that they might of evolved into something similar to this.

Suzanne is the adopted daughter of American diplomat James Fitzroy - She has a gift for languages and a way of helping her father out of assorted crises, minor and otherwise. But there's a lot more to her than meets the eye.

In the early 90s the Russsian KGB's power is at its lowest ebb, and to stave those who will rise to power pointing the finger at their misdeeds they kill them before they can talk.

A young Jewess is witness to her own parents' brutal murder but she escapes, saved by a youth hardly much older than her. Anton Sergeyevich escaped from an orphanage, in the two years he's been free he's learned to become a thief, and he's become rather good at his chosen profession.

The girl joins him and for a time all goes well until the man who ordered her parents' death finds them, and sees them as his new personal gravy train to getting by now that the lower echelons of the KGB are out on their ear. His plan doesn't work and Anton manages to kill him, but the young pair decide they have no choice but to flee the former USSR. In so doing, the pair part company.

Using a stolen passport the girl takes on the identity of a New Zealander known as Susan McKenzie, and works her way around Europe becoming an international thief and cat burglar.

Into her life, on a speeding train, arrive the Fitzroys, or rather she enters their live, for she steals from them, later feeling remorse and returning what was taken. Likewise, their compassion for her partly revealed past history is genuine and in time there is true love between them all and she becomes part of their lives.

That is until Helen Fitzroy dies at far too young an age of 41. Suzie aware what people says decides she must leave, but Fitzroy decides to put such idle gossip suitably in the trashcan where it belongs by formerly adopting her. Thus she becomes his Girl Friday throughout his subsequent diplomatic activities. And all goes well, for a time.

All these past events are weaved in and out of more contemporary events as figures move from the shadows to take a foothold in the present and Anton reappears preparing to blow her cover, for in revealing her true identity it will bring disgrace to her adopted father and a diplomatic faux pas that won't be hushed up. That is unless he helps her break into an embassy safe during a party.

From there on in danger and excitement never leave the page, with each shifting scenes offering new threats or allegiances, and an emotional rollercoaster caught up in the middle of it as Susie and Anton's affections turn from brother and sister in all but name to lovers who will never quite be.

I really hope a large number of the female teenagers onwards take a look at this; I believe it will appeal to them. It's a more mature version of the tense adventure strips that were prevalent in British girls comics so a worthy read.

I also trust such a statement will not prevents lads and grown-ups picking this up; it's a carefully plotted adventure filled with human drama from Jean Van Hamme and features studious but not over-posed figure drawing from Phillipe Aymonde who also draws some great car and motorbike scenes throughout.

For more about Lady S. visit: www.cinebook.com

Thorgal: City of the Lost God
By Gzregorz Rosinski & Jean Van Hamme
Published by Cinebook

Cinebook's sixth Thorgal collection moves at a frantic pace, with events unfolding every couple of pages and tripping the unsuspecting reader into a false sense of security, but pleasantly so because the story is more often than not quite riveting.

Again Cinebook has collected two previous Thorgal books together, this time City of the Lost God and Between Earth and Sun.

They conclude the story began in the previous The Land of Qa collection, but this time each of the two books reaches its own satisfactory conclusion, while still being part of the greater saga.

City of the Lost God pulls few punches as it reveals the harrowing sacrifices made in honour of Ogotai. But not all of his worshippers embrace his bloodlust, and Hog, commander in chief of the Mayaxatl flying squadron is soon plotting with Thorgal and Kriss.

A plan is hatched and although things do not all go according to plan and Tjal pays with his life for his folly in the last book with, at least Aaricia doesn't end up having her heart cut out! While all, this going on, with Thorgal leaping into action here there and everywhere, he's also having flashbacks to his childhood and visitations by the nameless goddess.

Kriss tries to take a knife to the bloodied man-god that is Ogotai but his powers age her into an old woman. He then grabs Aaricia to take her into his flying vessel as witness for him conquering the world but Thorgal stops him, and the fact that they are space-travelling father and son is met with Ogotai, born Varth, going even more insane in his utter disbelief.

The aged man is finally defeated by an older looking Kriss, and the three survivors escape on the flying vessel intended for world domination.

An incredibly action-packed adventure, that slows down slightly where you might expect it to fail during the, not-too-unexpected, revelations concerning Ogotai and Thorgal's relationship, but still works exceedingly well. A pretty satisfying read to say the least.

Events continue to shift in the Between Earth and Sun book in this collection, but at a slower more philosophical though not leisurely pace.

Their deed now complete, Thorgal wishes to return home. Unfortunately with Tanatloc also now dead the Xinjin want to replace Thorgal's son, Jolan, as their own living god.

Backstabbing inner politics are found to have always been present in what at first seemed something of a South American Eden, our heroes are made to suffer a slow death under the burning sun and little Jolan is deceived into thinking his parents have left him.

An angered magic helmet thrown at a wall, a dark cave and an aged Kriss counting her gold prove to be the unexpected cavalry that help turn about fortunes, albeit only for a while. Still, the evil are vanquished and the good survive, and it makes a fitting extended epilogue to the previous book, while adding subtle subplots that I'm sure further books will expound upon.

In all, the Thorgal series feels like the epic adventures that were so popular in American and the occasional English strip in comics during the 70s, Rosinski's art certainly has some of that great flavor, and there's many who will enjoy seeing such work in print that they can read again.

For more on Thorgal visit: www.cinebook.com

Created by a Belgian writer and a Polish artist, Thorgal is one of the most popular comic book stories published in Europe, with some thirty albums published.

A few collections were previously been translated and published in English a few years back, but it's only recently with Cinebook that a concentrated effort is being made to make them more accessible to the general book purchaser.

Thorgal is the title character of the series, one that initially appears to be set squarely in Viking territory, then our Scandinavian cousins' legends come to life, science fiction rears its head in a curious new age way alien visitation way, but always seems to keep its feet squarely on the ground.

To give him his full name, and hint at some of the aspects behind the story, Thorgal Aegirsson has been raised as a Viking but is out of sorts with many of their ideals. He wants only peace and quiet for himself and his family, but fate works against him, as if the gods themselves have cursed him. Not good for Thorgal, but reason enough to keep his adventures entertaining literally thousands for the last couple of decades.

As one can imagine, with a series that's gone as long as the term saga is more than appropriate to describe it, it has its soap opera characteristics too with long gone characters returning, but whereas with UFOs taking Colbeys up into space or a supposedly dead Bobby Ewing stepping lively out of a shower, in Thorgal the antics tend to strike true. That stated, I admit to being a relative novice to the series, and even armed with my research, I'm wondering where we're heading, but, hey, that's part of the adventure!

Cinebook recently published their fifth Thorgal collection, titled The Land of Qa it collects both that original publication and The Eyes of Tanatloc.

The Land of Qa opens with Thorgal, his wife Aaricia and their friend, the archer Tjall merrily attending to roof repairs in their winter cabin, unaware of the danger but a short walk away. While this is going on, Tjall's uncle, the aged warrior Tree Foot, is teaching Thorgal and Aaricia's son Jolan how to fire an arrow from a bow only for them to be kidnapped by pirates.

It transpires that Kriss of Valnor is responsible for this, and she is a female mercenary who's had run-ins with Thogal previously.

Kriss promises to release her captives on the condition that Thorgal and his party join her on a mission whose concerns she will not as yet reveal but lets it be known that gold is involved. For the sake of Jolan, they reluctantly follow where she leads.

Then their journey begins, via a longboat affixed with hot air balloons to carry them through the sky. Once on board they receive telepathic messages new aged style from the high regent of the Xinjin people who they are told they are going to save.

It's discovered that long ago in the land of Qa a white-skinned sun-helmeted naked man came to their shores from out of the sea and the Chaam were the first people to worship him as a god due to powers he displayed. His worship required sacrifice and the city of Mayaxtl many were the throats slit to pacify him, and only the Xinjin stood against the might of the living god that was Ogotai.

The Xinjin found a god for themselves though, albeit an elderly one, by the name of Tanatloc, who told them that if they could find a way to relieve Ogotai of his headwear peace might again be known among their peoples. This is what lead them to having somehow contacted and hired Kriss, and it was the Xinjin that Tree Foot, Jolan, and his dog Miff are held in hostage.

The location of this particular saga takes us from the frozen north to the sun-baked lands of the South American continent, although one where ship battles take place in mid-air as Ogotai's followers attack Kriss's flying craft! Our heroes manage to land safely, but when confronted by a great statue of a goddess Thorgal has the most curious of feelings that she is familiar to him, and there that book concludes.

Fortunately we're not left wondering what fate lies in store, for The Eyes of Tanatloc offers quite a few answers... That, plus a few more mysteries and perhaps a red herring or two.

This book in the collection begins by exploring the various emotions the cast is feeling, and mainly towards each other. Kriss knows Tjall is infatuated with her, he hates himself for doing so, but she uses him coyly or cruelly as the mood takes her, and we also begin to note that she may have secret feelings herself, but for Thorgal. The hero remains devoted to his wife.

Meanwhile, new readers learn the reason for Tree Foot's name - he has a false wooden one and the Xinjin have taken it so he won't escape, but fortunately he finds two willing lovers to placate him.

We also find that Tanatloc is nearing the end of his own supposed immortal life, but on learning Thorgal is involved he reveals to Jolan that he knows his father from long ago, and now teaches the youth how to use the power of the mind, the presumed magic that these gods display.

Thereafter it is revealed that these gods are in fact astronauts who crash landed down onto the planet Earth, and one by the name of Varth went mad when his wife and died, and then took the name of Ogotai. All but Tanatloc are unaware that the child survived, and grew up to Thorgal!

Between all that we get alligator attacks, ambushes by natives, swords drawn and arrows pulled and action aplenty, but our northern freedom fighters almost split up along the way when Kriss nearly convinces Tjall to leave Thorgal and Aaricia for dead, and well they might have if not for the fact that their son has learnt to use the power of his mind, and is able to come to their aid. But all's far from well, and this is still the set-up before the main event that will begin to take place in yet another book!

Some great drawing by Grzegorz Rosinki, and I do mean drawing, you can literally feel the pencil lines sketched out as he's composed these pages, there's lively action and considered emotion in his work, and Jean Van Hamme bends genres and mixes themes digging us deeper into mystery, making us begin to care seriously about the outcome of these characters.

For more about Thorgal visit: www.cinebook.com

JEAN VAN Hamme is one of Europe's most popular and celebrated comic book writers, indeed he has lead a colourful career writing within several creative mediums.

Born in Brussells in 1939, Van Hamme studied at the Solvay Business School, and would go on to work as a journalist and carve out a career in marketing, both of which appear to have come in useful for his subsequent creative endeavours.

Before long Van Hamme sought to create fiction and became an author, notably with his Largo Winch series of thriller novels.

Largo Winch, the tale of the head of a multi-national financial empire who's also an adventurer, was to subsequently become a highly successful comic book series, a computer game, and was turned into a live action television series a few years back.

Van Hamme's creative writings were done concurrent with his fulltime marketing work, and in the late sixties he began working in the comics medium, and also did some work adapting comics series for animation on television.

It was not until 1976 and the success of Thorgal, his epic Viking fantasy saga, illustrated by Polish artist Grzegorz Rosiński, that Van Hamme commited himself to creative writing fulltime. Since then, more novels, screenplays for theatre and the movie industry and internationally successful comic book series from the man have entertained quite literally millions of people since.

The eighties saw the debut of Van Hamme's XIII comic book series. Based upon a character in search of his true identity, in a similar vein to Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Identity, XIII mixes political intrigue and adventure similar to the Largo Winch series but with added ongoing mystery and suspense. It has also been turned into a computer game.

From stories about Belgian brewers to daring to continue Edgar P Jacobs' classic Blake and Mortimer series, Jean Van Hamme's work continues to shows a keen mind, inventive in his scenarios, enthusiastic towards dealing with the realities of both the modern world and those of the imagination, all populated with characters one can relate to if not always admire.

Professing a desire to slow down in relation to his comics' work, Van Hamme's reading publics demands for his work is undiminished. In 2005 the latest editions of XIII and Largo Winch took equal fourth place in terms of sales in France alone, with half a million each, while the following year, the latest edition of Thorgal ranked fifth, selling 280,000 copies. This excludes his other new work, alongside ongoing reprints of past books.

English speaking countries can now count their blessings, and no longer have to feel like the great unwashed, for a number of the great Jean Van Hamme's graphic novels are now available on our shores courtesy of Cinebook.

Speech Balloons will be featuring reviews of some of Jean Van Hamme's graphic novels in due course, but you can find out more by visiting: www.cinebook.com