By Jean Van Hamme and Grzegorz Rosinski

Cinebook

“Still travelling with Kris of Valnor, Thorgal runs afoul of a local tribe. When a mysterious old woman offers him a chance to escape the hostile villagers, he accepts. But there’s more to the bargain: She says that if he can make his way into the Invisible Fortress, he’ll be able to erase his name from the Stone of the Gods, cancelling his destiny—and finally have a chance at a normal life.”

Again, my ridiculous flip-flopping of opinion with Thorgal continues. I know I keep saying I should stop, keep promising myself, with each new and disappointing volume I read, that this will be my last. Except there’s obviously something beyond a guilt based desire to actually read all the things sent for review, something that does bring me back, something I’m actually getting out of Thorgal.

So here we are again….. and after last volume I wasn’t expecting all that much, here’s what I said then:

“And now, after Volume 10, I just think I might have finally had done with it. If Volume 9 felt like Van Hamme doing Thorgal by the numbers then this is simply Van Hamme phoning it in. The story doesn’t really amount to anything and throughout the volume it reads almost childishly, this happens, then this, then something else, then this again…. over and over, a parade of moments with none of the style or skill Van Hamme has shown himself supremely capable of in other stories and indeed in previous Thorgal volumes.”

And here, at least at the start, we’re on familiar(ish) ground – Thorgal is travelling, sharing a cosy barbarian’s retreat with the Lady Kriss, his sometime enemy, obviously madly infatuated with everyone’s favourite humanist barbarian. And of course, he manages to tick off another set of local barbarians – you can tell they’re barbarians – they’re the ugly ones compared to Thorgal’s manly yet sensitive look and Kriss’ seductive yet occasionally vulnerable look.

So far, so hmmm. I’m beginning to get that feeling again, of really not being all that bothered by what goes on. I know Thorgal sold in excess of 200k each volume, but it’s just not for me I’m afraid. That sort of “why do I read this again?” feel.

BUT, BUT, BUT….. About a third of the way through it sort of does that thing it did back in Volume 7, which had a weird time-travel plot going through it. And I find myself enjoying just that little bit of weirdness, as Thorgal and Kriss find themselves venturing into the blank whiteness of The Invisible Fortress, as seen on that very, very, attractive Rosinski cover. It’s not much, but it takes it out of the entrenched (and frankly, to my reading tastes, dull) realms of by the numbers sword & sorcery just enough to get my attention.

And that puts me in mind of a theory about the series. I’m thinking that I don’t really care that much for the episodes which veer too far into standard sword & sorcery stuff, as it’s just not something I’ve ever really enjoyed. But when it begins to veer a little bit into the weird, even when it’s simple a bit of weird capping off a whole heap of very little going on like it is here in The Invisible Fortress, I grab onto that difference and it’s just enough of a hook to raise the whole thing up.

As usual, the one thing I can’t really criticise at all is the artwork – Rosinski’s stuff is just lovely, really, really lovely. Even when I’m being a little bored by Van Hamme doing the latest twist in the Thorgal saga, he at least gives me something lovely to be looking at and most importantly to keep my attention – because if it wasn’t for Rosinski I’d probably be gone from Thorgal. Like I say, I know it’s beloved, I know so many people read it. But it’s just not me.

By Jean Van Hamme and Philippe Aymond

Cinebook

“Suzan and her father are taking a well-deserved break in the south of France. But their holidays are cut short when several men burst into the house and kidnap James Fitzroy. What Suzie doesn’t know is that the attackers are actually CIA operatives: The Agency is offended by the existence of an unofficial European counterterrorist outfit. But in their attempt to use Lady S. to draw her employers out, it’s the American spooks who may be made the fools…”

The third volume in Van Hamme’s saga of a reluctant female spy takes us in a strange and rather unexpected direction, and gives me the best read so far in the series.

Volume 1 (review) was an enjoyable intro to the life of Suzan Fitzroy, adopted daughter and principal assistant to James Fitzroy, the roving US ambassador in Europe. Her past as a thief has been used against her by the mysterious CATRIG (Centre for Anti-Terrorism Research and Intelligence Gathering), and she’s set to work as a high class spy.

But when I last read her exploits in Volume 2 (review) it proved a real disappointment, and I referred to Van Hamme’s story as “merely a shadow of what he’s done before“, calling it a “thriller by the numbers” and ending with “the inevitable attempted plot twist is sloppy and telegraphed almost from the off“. So, either Van Hamme was having an off day or I was, but I stand by the review. Whenever I open a Van Hamme book, expectations are almost ridiculously high, possibly too high, maybe I just expect too much every time?

And maybe, just maybe, knowing I hadn’t enjoyed Lady S. Volume 2 meant I went into this one not expecting all that much? Which might be why the change around in the story, the unexpected shift from yet another mission seemed fresh and interesting?

Because this is essentially a “what Suzie did on her holiday story“, where that nasty old C.I.A., complete with the nasty old, fat, and bloaty boss, gets wind of the CATRIG organisation and, determined to root them out, arranges for Suzie’s adopted dad to be kidnapped. A big, big mistake on their part.

Suddenly, instead of being in control of the situation, the C.I.A. is on the backfoot at every turn (and there are lots of turns), as they work to protect Suzie, work to thwart the C.I.A. plot, knowing that by doing so, Suzie’s dad will be released. What it becomes is a series of journeys for Suzie, escaping the clutches of the US agents and the French police, who’ve finally made the connection between Suzie now and the thief she used to be, with everyone along Suzie’s journey seemingly proving to be an agent of CATRIG… even the dear old lady on the bus:

So instead of spending all volume on a mission, Suzie spends it being subtly moved around by CATRIG, obviously in complete control of the situation.

Eventually she’ll find herself at their secret HQ, and it’s secret is a lovely twist on the spying game, with elements of classic spy stories thrown in. I’m loath to blow the pleasant surprise of this, but my only regret is that Aymond, whose art is (as before) a gloriously controlled, always perfectly paced and very tight affair, didn’t play with the idea a little more and do what a lot of artists would and filled every scene at CATRIG HQ with old, familiar faces.

So, Lady S. Volume 3 proves to be another top notch Van Hamme thriller, albeit a slow paced, almost tongue in cheek thriller. It surprised and delighted. After the disappointment of Volume 2, it’s a pleasure to get back on track.

By Jean Van Hamme and William Vance

Cinebook

The return of Van Hamme’s amnesiac super-agent for the ninth volume (of nineteen). And the second volume in a row where I’ve felt a little pang of disappointment with the storyline so far.

Last volume there was a conclusion of sorts, the initial plot resolved, and XIII made one huge enemy for the future. My problems with that volume could have been put down to simply the almost inevitable sense of anti-climax after such a fantastic set-up.

But now we’re in the post conclusion come down, and it’s the first moment in XIII where it seems just a little flabby, a little too repetitious. We’ve uncovered the true identity of XIII – as far as we know, but let’s face it Van Hamme is bund to throw spanners in that particular works before we get to the 19th and final volume. And now we’re wondering where we’re going. The answer… at least at first, appears to be down the same old route of new identity, new adventure.

There’s even a moment right at the start of this latest volume of XIII where Van Hamme appears to be reveling in the increasingly preposterous storylines of XIII, and is possibly having a little joke with his readers, as he sends his amnesiac super-agent on yet another mission, with yet another clue to his identity:

(Jones rather hits the nail on the whole multiple identity head here. From XIII: For Maria by Van Hamme and Vance, published by Cinebook)

Now, in Volume 9, XIII finds himself quickly immersed into both this new adventure and new identity, one concerning the 6 missing years he has absolutely no recollection of. He and Major Jones find themselves in search of a woman who may, or may not be the woman he married during those missing years.

But true to form, she couldn’t just be (in Jones’ words) “some fat mujer, half-a-dozen brats hanging onto her skirts”. No, this woman happens to be the leader of the democratic guerrillas in the Central American country of Costa Verde. And right now she’s awaiting execution in a maximum security fortress. Time for XIII to plunge head-first into trouble again.

There’s a big possibility that XIII has been here before, with several references to “El Cascador”, fabled Irish freedom fighter. Was XIII the Irishman? It’s possible, particularly as we know the penultimate volume (the one illustrated by Moebius) has the title The Irish Version.

(Dangerous and pretty – just XIII’s type. From For Maria by Van Hamme and Vance, published by Cinebook)

The sense of Van Hamme simply treading water at this stage, stringing it all out a little too much, is strong. But once the surprising revelation of the missing wife hits, along with the surprising feeling in this reader that maybe Van Hamme needs to move things on a little, the action kicks in and we’re back in familiar territory.

Yes, it may be Van Hamme treading a little water, but it’s certainly the usual fun filled adrenaline rush with XIII doing his action thing whilst Van Hamme paddles for a while. And that’s just about enough to get me over my problems with XIII at this stage.

No-one does this sort of action as well as Van Hamme. And even here, at the flabby mid-point, the action is still action-packed, the thrills are still ever so thrilling and the fun of the book sees me through to the end.

I imagine we’ve a few more of these middle bit stories to come before we hit the point where Van hamme begins the long wind-up to the real conclusion of the story. But thankfully, just as it is here, I imagine the sheer fun of the read will see me through to what I’m hoping, trusting, will be a spectacular and worthy conclusion.

By Jean Van Hamme, art by Grzegorz Rosinski

Cinebook

“Wyoming, 1868. Ambrosius Van Deer has come to Fort Laramie to meet Jess Chisum, a young man who claims he’s found Van Deer’s nephew Eddie. Ten years before, Edwyn Van Deer disappeared after his family was killed in a Lakota raid. Proof of his identity: a silver watch with a portrait of his parents. But fate has other plans than a happy family reunion, and the events of that day will set in motion a tragedy 15 years in the making.”

Well, the odds were fairly high that I’d enjoy this one, after all, Van Hamme is responsible for two absolutely beloved series of mine from Cinebook; Largo Winch and XIII. And, yes, it’s a hugely enjoyable, complete in 64 pages Western tale.

As you’d expect from Van Hamme, there’s tight plotting, twists and turns, great action sequences, but more than that it’s just great to see a Western comic – a rare thing, especially one this well done.

(The opening page to Western, as Ambrosius Van Deer pulls up in Fort Laramie. From Western by Van Hamme and Rosinski, published by Cinebook)

It all opens with successful rancher Ambrosius Van Deer and his daughter rolling into Fort Laramie, following up a lead of his nephew, long ago feared lost in a murderous Lakota raid. But in actual fact it’s all a con, a con that goes disasterously wrong for all involved. The only survivors are young 14 year-old Nate Chisum (or Nate Colton as he becomes known) and Van Deer’s daughter.

Van Hamme successfully cuts then to later in young Nate’s life, where, even with only one arm, he manages to eek out a living until he rolls up in Wichita, gets a job as a bank security guard and finds himself embroiled in the devious politics and betrayals all around him.

(A beautiful page, taking Nate from 14 to 25, losing an arm and letting Rosinski loose on the big sky of the old west. From Western by Van Hamme and Rosinski, published by Cinebook)

Rosinski’s artwork, from that beautifully composed, portrait like cover onwards is simply a delightful, lush mix of incredibly tight work, all delivered in moody, atmospheric sepia tones and muted colours, perfectly capturing what we like to think of as the old Wild West.

Every so often he even slips in a double page full colour painting, something you’ll want to stop and observe a while, although it does break the flow of the pages, sometimes quite naturally, acting as a perfect break in the narrative, but at other moments seeingly just inserted without thought, depending on what Rosinski fancied drawing.

(And of course, being Van Hamme, the action sequence in Western is practically perfect – from Western by Van Hamme and Rosinski, published by Cinebook)

Van Hamme manages to do a lot in Western, getting in a beautifully choreographed action sequence, treachery, betrayal, a vendetta, and a lot more – all in just 64 pages. But with Van Hamme, you’d really expect nothing less than a perfectly plotted, perfectly paced, thoroughly enjoyable tale. There’s little in Western that’s original, but that’s not the real point. This is meant, I’m sure, to feel like a good, old fashioned, classic Western. And it does that just perfectly.

By Jean Van Hamme and William Vance

Cinebook

Right, here we are again, another volume of Van Hamme and Vance’s amnesiac mystery man adventure. If you’re new to the series, it’s definitely not too late to be jumping on, so please, if you haven’t already picked it up, don’t bother reading any further – just click here for the review of the first couple, where I said this:

“I absolutely burned through these two volumes, a look of absolute joy on my face as each page seemed to give me new and increasingly ridiculous situations for XIII to get himself out of.”

“There’s almost no point in even discussing the plot, essentially it’s XIII trying to trace his fractured memory back through every little clue Van Hamme drops in his path. Is he some hired killer, presidential assassin, military specialist, a son, a husband? Each new clue leads him to some new conflict. The resolution to each conflict to a new identity, a new clue and even more violence. The body count rises, the stakes grow higher. The silliness of the situations is immaterial, since the fun and the enjoyment is in the sheer thrills to be had along the way.”

And that still applies with Volume 7. Indeed, unless Van Hamme completely messes it up, I imagine it will apply to every volume up until Cinebook’s planned July 2013 finale. Just go and buy it. If you like your thrillers action packed, intelligent and beautifully drawn, you really can’t do much better than XIII.

Right, now to talk to those of you up to speed with the series. At this point we know for definite (or at least as definite as we know anything – Van Hamme may completely change the rules next volume) that XIII is the man known as Jason Fly. And as Jason Fly, XIII feels free from the conspiracy theory that he was embroiled in since waking up as an amnesiac casualty on a foreign shore, with nothing but a bullet wound, the XIII tattoo on his collar bone and an amazing ability to adapt and survive to his name.

(Thank goodness for these summary pages…. useful for readers old and new. From XIII Volume 7, by Van Hamme and Vance, published by Cinebook.)

But even though the conspiracy is meant to be over, XIII still has the task of uncovering his identity, his real identity. So as Fly, XIII is in Green Falls, his supposed childhood home where he’s finding that the spectre of that number still looms large. The mystery assassin known only as the mongoose is in town, attempting to prevent XIII from remembering the truth behind number I, a truth that is lodged somewhere in that amnesiac brain.

We’re in very familiar territory here. And the adventures themselves rest very comfortably within a strict pattern – XIII is thrust into some new scenario, with a tantalising chance for him (and us readers) to discover some aspect of his past. There’s a twist, there’s danger lurking somewhere (I can’t imagine XIII will ever follow a lead that doesn’t have some element of violent death), and eventually we reach the end, a few clues revealed, a few more mysteries uncovered, and a few more questions posed.

This volume is rather more revealing than most, with a large portion of the first half of the book being a series of flashbacks. But even though these exposition filled pages are wordy, Vance keeps everything moving beautifully until we burst through into the inevitable, climactic action sequences;

(The Mongoose finally catches up with XIII, for a second time it seems. But is this the end? Oh really, surely by now you should know it’s not the end until Van Hamme tells us it’s the end. From XIII Volume 7 by Van Hamme and Vance, published by Cinebook)

The skill, and the enjoyment we get from XIII, is both in the tremendous enjoyment of the overall idea – of one man’s desperate search for his past, and the smaller scale invention and excitement thrown our way every volume with the super tight writing of Van Hamme and the equally tight and perfectly matched artwork of Vance. That’s why it just doesn’t get tired, even though it’s settled into a familiarity by this stage.

It’s truly a marvellous thriller of a series, it’s so well put together that the familiarity is actually more comforting and reassuring by now. I’m enjoying it every bit as much as I did when I first picked it up and imagine I’ll be saying the same thing, every couple of months until volume 19 reveals all in July 2013.

By Jean Van Hamme and Philippe Francq

Cinebook

Okay, I’m on rather a Van Hamme high at the moment. In the last couple of days I’ve polished off the 6th volume of XIII and then, straight after, underneath that rather brilliant cover – this 8th Cinebook volume (12th part) of the Largo Winch saga.

And I can honestly say that I can’t really choose between XIII and Largo Winch as my favourite series right now.

Both are thrilling genre pieces, both feature some perfectly realised artwork, and they both provide some fantastic escapism from an absolute master – there really is no one who writes a better thriller than Van Hamme.

But where XIII is the continuing quest style drama and super-serious with it, Largo Winch is more James Bond like, with Winch (and Van Hamme) allowed a little fun here and there. And it’s this fun that marks Largo Winch out from the serious thriller of XIII.

Shadow is the conclusion of the story begun in Volume 7; Golden Gate. This is how every Largo Winch story works – first volume sets it all up, establishes the threat and usually drops Largo and his friends into some dire jeopardy by the cliffhanger ending. The second volume is the explosive finale, packed with action.

I could recap what’s gone before, but instead I’ll make use of this single page summary included at the front of Shadow (click through for a bigger image):

There you go. Enough to allow you to jump right in and follow the review, but promise me you’ll not attempt to read Shadow with just this as a set-up – that would just be spoiling it for yourself.

Because missing out on Golden Gate would mean missing the careful political and financial maneuverering of Winch’s opponents, that puts him and his chief administrator Dwight Cochrane in prison and his friends in danger. It’s very much a story made far more enjoyable when the two parts are read together.

Of course, this being Largo Winch, it’s not all action in this concluding part, and there’s still time for some more of that political and financial maneuvering that I do really enjoy:

So, as usual with Van Hamme’s Largo Winch we have a perfectly constructed, perfectly paced, thrilling page turner of a story. But it’s too easy to put all of this down to Van Hamme and neglect the role of Philippe Francq.

His figure work is gorgeous, his locales exotic yet real, his beautiful people (male and female) are drop dead stunning, his architecture, his layouts, his action sequences – everything is pitch perfect.

(Van Hamme may write them, but it’s Francq who makes those action sequences really come alive for the reader. From Largo Winch: Shadow, published by Cinebook)

By this stage, my enjoyment of Largo Winch (or XIII) doesn’t really come from the thrills I find in the pages, since they’re thrills I’ve come to expect. No, the plentiful enjoyment I have when reading Largo Winch (and XIII) is knowing what is to come but enjoying how well the authors deliver.

I know Winch, our billionaire businessman who always lives up to his back-cover billing of “womanizer, wanderer, iconoclast and fighter” is always going to be the hero, always going to be the target of financial and physical threats. And, just as I know they’re coming,  also know that the resolution will be thrilling, fun and predictably exciting.

As good as Van Hamme is (and he’s very, very good), the work by Francq is every bit as good. Largo Winch becomes, at the hands of these two equal partners, something truly exceptional.

By Jean Van Hamme and William Vance

Cinebook

Okay; the quick version…. XIII is an amnesiac who washes up on the East coast of the US, with no memory of his past or his identity. For some reason there’s a roman numeral XIII tattooed on his collar bone and he’s in possession of a vast variety of physical and combat techniques, all of which points towards some specialist, covert role.

This 19 volume series takes a few initial ideas from Jason Bourne and then goes batshit crazy with Van Hamme filling the series with every possible twist and turn he can – every volume puts XIII in some new situation, with some possible clue to his own identity dangled in front of him, the whole thing usually going spectacularly wrong to the sound of gunfire, explosions, running and breaking things.

Now go back and read those two paragraphs without pause for breath and as fast as you can.

That’s the XIII experience. And I’m a big, big fan:

“.. I’m still grinning from ear to ear with childish joy after reading it, swept along by the sheer exuberance of van Hamme’s writing as he puts his protagonist through every brilliant thriller hoop he can think of.” Volumes 1 & 2.

“If my other favourite Van Hamme series Largo Winch cranks the excitement up to 10, then XIII just did a Spinal Tap and set everything to 11.” Volume 3.

“I know Van Hamme will continue to throw complication and tortuous twists and turns in my way until that very final volume 19. And it’s something I’ll look forward to happening each volume as I sit there relishing every insane twist, every complex turn.” Volume 4.

“But even though the ending was, in my humble opinion, rushed and flawed, having just read Volumes 1-5 all over again for writing this review, I’m still convinced that … XIII is a classy and classic piece of intriguing thriller.” Volume 5.

Volumes 1-5 put XIII right in the middle of a very high profile political conspiracy supported by beautiful Major Jones and rugged, knows a lot more than he’s letting on Lee Marvin-a-like General Carrington. XIII is pretty much bang to rights as the assassin of a Kennedy-esque US President, and consequently spends a lot of the time on a desperate run from all manner of people with asssorted weapons and plans for causing harm. And I did think the ending seemed rushed and a bit of a let-down. But I’m putting that down as a blip.

Well, this volume is the come down from XIII’s post conspiracy plot climax. A perfect time to plunge into XIII, unafraid of getting too confused. This is a simple one – XIII is off to pursue another lead to his identity – the Jason Fly persona.

(A relaxing trip to the psych, trying to investigate the mystery of his past life/lives – all beautifully rendered by Vance, and notice the subtle, much used this volume, shift between present and flash-back – all in the panel corners. Quite simple, yet Vance and Van Hamme tell the story so well, it’s completely natural. XIII Volume 6: The Jason Fly Case by Van Hamme and Vance, published by Cinebook)

But the post climactic comedown lasts a whole 5 pages before we’re back on track. This is, after all, Jean Van Hamme’s XIII, and if you really thought he was going to let up the pace so early on, you really haven’t been paying attention.

No, XIII gets right back on the action thriller horse, investigating this Jason Fly identity in the sleepy town of Green Falls in a story that introduces a lot of new characters, and surprise surprise, there’s some old mystery and conspiracy that threatens to blow up the minute XIII walks (back?) into town.

Very quickly XIII is back doing what Van Hamme gets him doing so well, Major Jones heads back with important information and we spend a great deal of the book in flashback, filling in the moments between the end of the presidential conspiracy and now, where XIII, Jones, Carrington and XIII’s psychiatrist attempt to fill in the past and help XIII put together his possible life as Jason Fly.

(Oh dear – that’s the psychiatrist done in. Being around XIII and not being one of the major characters does tend to have that result. From XIII Volume 6: The Jason Fly Case, by Van Hamme and Vance, published by Cinebook)

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone with a passing interest in XIII that Jason Fly probably isn’t going to be the final, revealed in Volume 19, identity of XIII. It also shouldn’t come as a surprise that the journey to get there, is everything that makes XIII so much fun. This volume reads slightly differently, mostly due to the structural elements – mixing so many flashback sequences into the action really alters the feel of it.

And in lesser hands it may have ruined the volume. But Van Hamme and Vance pull the thing off so spectacularly well. There’s nothing to point out the extensive flashbacks aside from a subtle shift in the shape of the panel corners. But the storytelling of both men is so strong, so good, that it just naturally flows.

XIII Volume 6 is simply another volume in a fantastic series. And that’s a horrible, damning with faint praise way to describe it. But 6 volumes in of the 19 and I’m still looking forward to every new volume more than most things that cross my desk right now. It’s classy, exciting, wonderful fun. Couldn’t really ask for more.

By Jean Van Hamme and William Vance

Cinebook

Another Van Hamme series that I love. I’m never really sure whether I enjoy XIII or Largo Winch more – I think it all depends on which I’m currently reading. All I know is that I’m extremely grateful to Cinebook for bringing them to me.

So far, after 4 volumes of this series of XIII, we’ve followed the quest of an amnesiac man to discover his past and his identity, whilst avoiding a plethora of people trying to kill him for things he can’t remember doing – up to and including assassinating the oh so JFK-like president of the USA President William B. Sheridan.

And, just like last time, I’m going to completely bypass the complicated explanation in favour of the summary three pages presented at the start of Volume 4. Cheating? Oh yes….. (what is it they say about a picture – or sequential series of pictures – painting a thousand words?)

Okay, well, here in Volume 5 Van Hamme has really, really accelerated the pace. Surprisingly, this is the conclusion of the first storyline, and after all the carefully lain groundwork of the last four volumes which I found so deliciously thrilling, I have to admit I think it’s a mistake.

Okay, not that much of a mistake, since I still thoroughly enjoyed it and found it all tremendously exciting.  (Just like all the previous volumes: Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4- which I can quickly summarise by describing XIII as a stunningly good thriller of a book.)

But the whole volume proceeds so damn fast there’s barely time to draw breath. XIII and his associates make their way back from the wilderness they found themselves in at the end of Volume 4 in all too quick a fashion.

Meanwhile, in Washington, everything comes together all too quickly, with plot and counter plot dispensed with over a few pages. Before we know it, there’s a group of men acting somewhere well above the hapless current president very, very close to starting World War III on the pretense of making America strong again – and they’re the people with the roman numerals tattooed on their collar bones that have been controlling XIII’s life all along.

(Oh yes, WW3 – no half measures in XIII – as General Carrington discovers the depth of the conspiracy. From Volume 5; Full Red by Van Hamme and Vance, published by Cinebook)

Before you can say action set-piece it’s all over, with the plot thwarted, everything neatly wrapped up and XIII none the wiser and pledging to continue his quest to discover his identity, to investigate his previous life as Jason Fly.

There’s even that mainstay of rushed endings the summary conclusion pages (the sort you usually see over the end credits of a movie telling you where the characters ended up), where it seems Van Hamme simply either ran out of pages or ran out of steam and decided he couldn’t be bothered with a 6 volume of this part of the story to finish everything up satisfactorily.

(And there’s the set-up to the next part of the story – as XIII goes in search of his life as Jason Fly. From XIII Volume 5; Full Red by Van Hamme and Vance, published by Cinebook)

But even though the ending was, in my humble opinion, rushed and flawed, having just read Volumes 1-5 all over again for writing this review, I’m still convinced that Van Hamme and Vance’s XIII is a classy and classic piece of intriguing thriller. Possibly one of the best I’ve read in comics, certainly one of the most enjoyable.

Still, there’s still another 14 volumes of XIII to go. Van Hamme has a load of twists and turns in his story yet I’m quite sure. And this little bump along the road certainly wont stop me from being there right till the end.

When you love a comic as much as I do with Van Hamme and Francq’s Largo Winch (see here for the last review) there’s bound to be a conflict when it comes to any movie adaptation. There’s an attraction – a desire to see something in another form, but also an expectation that it wont live up to the original.

Part of me really wanted to see Largo Winch, part of me wondered how bad it could mess it up.

And the film is nowhere near as good as the source material, of course it’s not. But that was never what I expected. I got just what I was really hoping for; a thoroughly enjoyable, action packed but intelligent bit of cinema. It’s a very good but less substantial copy, a very good adaptation, and it works in the narrow confines of 2 hours of film.

But the film had so much going for it. It was French. It was stylish. It was international. And it very sensibly didn’t bite off more than it could chew and condensed, altered and adapted the source material from the first few books rather than slavishly converting them to film. And it proved to be a very enjoyable couple of hours of exciting and stylish thriller.

Largo Winch is the adopted son of Nerio Winch, who dies in the first moments of the film. Over the next 100 minutes, Winch comes to terms with his new life as head of the W Group, tracks down his father’s killers and discovers that big business can be a very dangerous occupation indeed. Just like in the comic.

And that’s the all important thing about Largo Winch the movie – it retains the spirit of the original – all the action, the intelligence, the intrigue of big business. Sure, the action sequences aren’t as explosive – special effects and stunts in comics are infinitely possible and don’t depend on budgets. And the intrigue of big business, the machinations behind the story of young Largo Winch inheriting his father’s global business, aren’t as in depth as the comics – again, the comics have far more space and time to play with than a 2 hour movie. And sure, they blew the ending by wanting to have a little too much action, but you can’t have everything I suppose. But by that point I’d bought into it enough to go with it and enjoy it anyway, even though I knew it was going too far.

Screenwriter Julien Rappeneau and director Jérôme Salle do a fine job of bringing Van Hamme and Francq’s creation to the screen and Tomer Sisley brings an intriguingly original leading man style to it. All in all definitely one to pick up on dvd.

The second film is released in February (Wim discusses it here). I’m looking forward to seeing it.

The French comics blog BD Gest points us towards the trailer (or bande-annonce, as the French say) of the new Largo Winch movie, which is to be released on February 16th, 2011.  As was the case with the first movie (and the desastrous TV series bevore that), this film is based on the comics series by Belgian creative team Jean Van Hamme (writer) and Philipppe Francq (artist).

The movie, quite fittingly called Largo Winch II, picks up the storyline from its predecessor, which saw Largo, the unknown son of one of the most powerful businessmen on the planet, suddenly confronted with immense riches after his father’s death, but also with having to battle new and powerful enemies who want to control the Winch empire.  In the second film Winch has defeated his adversaries, but decides to sell off the complete multinational corporation in order to set up a mega-ambitious global humanitarion foundation.  This, however, does not fit well into the plan of certain of his, still powerful, enemies, and on the day of the sale, Largo finds himself accused of crimes against humanity by a mysterious witness.  Poised at proving his innocence, Largo sets off to the Burmese jungle, in order to find out what happened in the past, and to set things right.

The film was directed by French réalisateur Jerôme Salle (as was the first one), and again stars Tomer Sisley (who won the French film critics’ Etoile d’Or award in 2009 for the first Largo Winch).  Sharon Stone takes over from Kirsten Scott Thomas as internationally acclaimed female co-star.

Judging from the trailer and on the synopsis, it’s clear that the film’s creators have opted for retaining the atmosphere and general themes from writer Jean Van Hamme’s series of novels, and later his and Philippe Francq’s hit comics series, rather than slavishly following the original storylines.  The comic series alone currently counts 17 books, and simply contains too much background information, characters and intrigues to translate to the big screen in a manner that is also enjoyable for people who haven’t read the books.  That, I think, is a good thing.

If you want, you can follow the film’s post-production and launch on the Largo Winch II Blog. The comics series Largo Winch is published in English by Cinebook.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVDwVy2Rs7k&