The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

The Adventures Of Blake & Mortimer Volume 11 – The Gonwana Shrine

By Yves Sente and Andre Juillard

Cinebook

I was a latecomer to the world of Blake and Mortimer; Edgar P. Jacobs’ classic British adventure duo of the dashing spy and the studious professor. And although I initially found it a little tiresome and wearing, the last two-part adventure by Sente and Juillard had me coming round to (seemingly) everyone else’s way of thinking.

This latest adventure takes place several months after the events of the event of the Sarcophagi Of The Sixth Continent, and begins with Blake heading off on a mission and Mortimer feeling rather worse for wear, so much so that on doctors orders he has a well deserved rest. But this is Professor Mortimer we’re talking about, so this rest results in him stumbling onto the trail of a lost civilisation in Africa. I’ll get to the subsequent adventure in a moment.

But first, I had a mini revelation in the first 20 or so pages of The Gondwana Shrine. The pages where we join Mortimer having a rest on doctors orders are actually my favourite moments of B&M yet.

I’d actually like to see Yves Sente do a Blake & Mortimer adventure without any adventure whatsoever. Because the quiet moments at the beginning of this latest romp were absolutely enthralling, with the day to day life of Mortimer proving every bit as enjoyable as any strange science adventure he may partake in. Yes, I know it’s merely the setup for the subsequent adventure, as Mortimer investigates some of the rocks brought back from Antarctica and finds out they may point to a highly advanced civilisation some 350 million years old, but it doesn’t matter, there’s a fascination in the day to day of Mortimer’s world, and full credit to Sente and Juillard for showing us so well.

Here’s Mortimer explaining his findings to Captain Blake….

But here’s where it got wonderful for me, with Mortimer setting up the story becoming mere detail, and the actual details of the scene, the little moments in the lives of both men becoming the things I focused on.

Little moments like this:

I don’t know what I love more; the setting, with all those gents supping lunchtime drinkies in oak panelled rooms or the idea of Blake sitting and “thinking” his way through a bottle of sherry.

But here in this volume of B&M, I kept seeing moments like this and I realised I’d absolutely, finally,completely bought into the idea and the world of B&M. And suddenly, having finally got it, I’m finding moments of wonder all the way through, little scenes that thrilled, not because of the adventure they were part of, but because of the moment they evoked. Juillard’s art came alive, his capturing of all those small details is perfection.

After all of these glorious moments in Mortimer’s rehabilitation, it was a wrench to see everything come together with Mortimer gathering pieces, along with Nastasia (from The Voronov Plot) and an old flame of a possible secret and prehistoric civilisation far more advanced than anything ever thought possible.

From here it’s back in the saddle, or rather back to the sort of enjoyable globe-trotting I’m getting used to in B&M, all old airplanes flying across African deserts and gentlemen not taking their waistcoats, jackets and bow-ties off in the oppressive heat of the day.

And again, those little touches of wonder are there. Juillard’s artwork is magnificent, and I find myself lingering on so much. The plane, the relaxed body language of Mortimer, hand in the pocket of his magnificent suit.

Which brings me to another of Juillard’s strengths – the clothes look so perfect, comfortable, effortlessly draped. Is it wrong to be so fixated at this point on practically everything that isn’t the adventure? Or is the feel of B&M perhaps the thing that makes the adventures all the more enjoyable?

But anyway… planes and suits… time for a quick detail again:

And whilst we’re picking little bits of that one page to encapsulate some of the things I loved about B&M this time around, how about this for a perfect way to illustrate the times these adventures are set in, where Africa is host to so many anachronisms, gloriously out of place scenes such as this party of three adventurers relaxing on the patio:

The whole book is full of moments like this, and I finally realise how enticing B&M can be, and how well Sente and Juillard have delivered a story where the adventure and the experience of travel sit side by side so perfectly.

Okay, no more micro analysis of the art, back to the adventure….

Once in Africa, it all comes together and Mortimer and his group find themselves exploring a very old, very hidden civilsation, and all the time an old enemy is following them. The ending is both ridiculous and meticulously plotted, as threads are drawn together from the previous adventure in the Antarctic in a rather good, old fashioned manner. But the over the top explanation for the advanced civilisation whose archaeological remains started this whole magnificent African jaunt,whilst being perfectly in keeping with the fantastical neo-scientific rationale behind B&M, still disappointed.

After all that ridiculously enjoyable stuff on Africa patios and London gentlemen’s Clubs, a face to face with something so over the top seemed a come down.

But between the excellent beginnings, the enjoyment of the exotic locales and the B&M guide to post-war Africa, coupled with an adventure that was genuinely thrilling and mysterious, this is absolutely my favourite B&M so far. I’ve definitely come over fully to the idea of the strip being a true great.

But I still think there’s mileage in my Blake & Mortimer stay home and chat about old times idea for a future volume. I’d buy it.