A couple of new books to look at from Olivier Cadic’s Cinebook –The 9th Art. As usual I have the ‘hard task’ of reading and reviewing –but no spoilers!
LARGO WINCH –THE HEIR
PAPERBACK
Authors: Francq & Van Hamme
Age: 15 years and up
Size: 18.4 x 25.7 cm
Number of pages: 96 colour pages
Publication: March 2008
£9.99
ISBN: 9781905460489
Largo Winczlav, born in Yugoslavia, is an orphan. Thousands of miles away, one of the richest men in the world will change Largo’s destiny. He has the same name, but slightly different: “Winch.” This man, Nerio Winch, wants to find an heir to his empire and adopts
Largo, offering him the best education. When his adoptive father disappears under dramatic circumstances, Largo inherits the W Group, the biggest conglomerate of multinational enterprises ever possessed and managed by a single man. From now on, he will be worth $10 billion. Which is not to everybody’s taste, as he is about to find out…
This two-volume book includes “the W Group”
Jean Van Hamme’s work I first read in the 1970s in ZACK 2000. If you are new to his work you can find out more at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Van_Hamme
Van Hamme offered Phillipe Francq work on a book he had written the basis for in 1990. The series was Largo Winch. And it became a hugely successful series with initial sales of over 600,000 copies per album in French alone. It is now the only series Francq works on at a rate of one album a year. Living in the South of France,who can blame him?!
Paul Brown’s reaction was “why do all these women have to look gorgeous?” Well,D’uh!
In fact,the book,or rightly “books”,start with Winch senior’s rather brutal murder and from there on in it’s high octane actin –car chases,jail fights,shoot-outs and more,including the beautiful women! You can see why this series is so successful:the use of great colours and varying scenery adds to this comic “eye-candy”.
Over the years Van Hamme has proven his skill as a writer and nothing is lost in Luke Spear’s translation.
If you want a good read and visuals then Largo Winch is for you.
IZNOGOUD –THE WICKED WILES OF IZNOGOUD
PAPERBACK
Authors: Goscinny & Tabary
Age: All ages
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 52 colour pages
Publication: March 2008
ISBN: 9781905460465
£5.99
Legend has it that in Baghdad the magnificent, a great and particularly dark-minded vizier, who answers to the name of Iznogoud, works on his ambition to lay claim to the throne of caliph Haroun al Plassid. Thus his favourite saying: “I want to be caliph instead of the caliph!”
Seconded by Wa’at Alahf, Iznogoud tries ever more diverse and even crazier means to reach his ends – in vain, of course!
Probably not as well known in the UK as Goscinny’s other work,Iznogoud was another book I first saw in German.
I actually find this a lot fresher than,say,Asterix. If you want to try your kids on something other than Asterix then this has to be the title to try. Same goes if you’ve been an Asterix fan. There are plenty of gags and slapstick –as in “The Time Machine” and if you are a big Euro comics fan then this will be an excellent addition to your collection.
There are some really great books coming from Cinebook and if you check out their site you’ll find info on Cedric,Melusine,Yakari,Yoko Tsuno,Lucky Luke,Blake & Mortimer,Biggles,Lady S,Alpha and many other titles –sign up for their e-newsletter:
http://www.cinebook.co.uk/index.asp
And if you are going to the May International Comic Expo pick up the 32 pages catalogue and say “Hi” to the folks at the table.
Olivier Cadic has really revitalised comic book reading in the
UK.
