Thursday 25 April 2024
Hexagon Comics: Strangers Origin -Tanka
Story & art by Yves Mondet; cover by Stephen R. Bissette.
1. THE SACRED SCARAB
2. THE EMERALD EMPIRE
7x10 squarebound comic,
84 pages
b&w
ISBN-13: TBA
During the late 1940s, in the troubled, immediate post-war period, a new champion arose in the jungles of the western equatorial African state of Karunda to protect the locals from predatory invaders, rescue those in need of help, and administer justice to all.
In this issue, discover the first adventure of Tanka originally published in April 1967: The Tomb of the Sacred Scarab, in which the young jungle lord foils the plans of a tomb raider.
Created by popular artist Yves Mondet, Tanka went on to have a long career in the 1960s and 70s, before eventually becoming the leader of the Strangers in a new incarnation that started in the early 2000s. But this is where it all started!
My copy has Strangers Origins on it and there is no information about the cover price -$12.99 on the web page but no ISBN so I will update that later and you can order the book direct https://www.hexagoncomics.com/shop-strangers-origins-tanka-1-the-sacred-scarab.html
Ah, for the era of the jungle lords which in novels, pulps and movies lasted from the late 19th century up until the 1970s. Glad to say that there is a slight resurgence of interest in the big names such as Tarzan. The Stephen Bissette cover is quite striking and of course Tanka is depicted as blond whereas in the original strip Mondet uses the technique to show a character has brownish hair but I don't think that really matters since the character was to jump from the jungle into the modern world and those who have read Hexagon Comics will know about those adventures as head of the Strangers team.
The story might be called "standard jungle action" but this is a character most people outside of France will know nothing about -rather like Hansrudi Wascher's jungle hero (Akim – Herr des Dschungels) in Germany. So this is a good starting off point and I do know from past experience that there are comic collectors who are only or mainly interested in the jungle action genre. Years after I first did Titan Books Tarzan collections those posts still attract a lot of attention.
The art is good and full of action and character and it is good to get a chance to see a full adventure of an old character which, unless you have a fair bit of money and can read French is usually not possible. I have space (somewhere!) for Hexagon Comics or else this would go on the Tarzan shelf!
Fun -which is what comics should be!
Wednesday 24 April 2024
Cinebook Ltd: BEAR'S TOOTH 6 - SILBERVOGEL
Authors: Yann & Alain Henriet
Age: 12 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 64 colour pages
Publication: January 2024
ISBN: 9781800440883 IN STOCK
£11.99 inc. VAT
Everything is in place. The radio guidance relays are active, the Silbervogel, the intercontinental bomber, is operational, and Anna is ready to fly it to America – a suicide mission. As for Werner, he seems incapable of fulfilling his mission and killing the beautiful test pilot, in whom he still sees his childhood friend. The arrival of Soviet forces, along with the courage of a handful of prisoners and partisans, will give them both one last chance to do the right thing … Can they seize it?
Seven years ago... That's when this started. I had trouble remembering what had gone on before when it came to volume 5 so volume 1?! Anyway, I did a deep search on CBO and it took a while since the posts were that far back Blogger will not show them in searches and here are the reviews from volumes 1-5:
2018
vol.1 https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2018/03/cinebook-9th-art-bears-tooth-1-max.html
vol.2 https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2018/10/bears-tooth-2-hanna_32.html
2019
vol. 3 https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2019/02/cinebook-9th-art-bears-tooth-3-werner.html
2023
vol. 4 https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2023/09/cinebook-ltd-bears-tooth-4-amerika.html
2024
vol. 5
https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2024/03/cinebook-ltd-bears-tooth-5-eva.html
I know what you are asking -"How did it end?" You want that big a spoiler?! Get out of here!! Everything I would want to say about this book is covered in all the other reviews. The art is wonderful and the uniforms, vehicles and settings are all spot on as is the history where it isn't fiction (these days I find it hard to tell them apart). The artwork cannot be faulted.
And the story? Well, as you might expect there are plot twists, things happen you were not expecting and there are some very nice twists that keep you guessing. I did love the touch of a naval diver named Crabb and if you wonder why that caught my attention then look up the mystery of Lieutenant-Commander Lionel Kenneth Phillip Crabb, OBE, GM (28 January 1909 – presumed dead 19 April 1956), known as Buster Crabb, a Royal Navy frogman and diver who vanished during a reconnaissance mission for MI6 around a Soviet cruiser berthed at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1956. My past catching up with me memory-wise.
The series ended "well" you might say but it is difficult to give anything away but now that you can buy volume 1-6 completed I would recommend it. Recommended especially if you are into war comics -there are elements here of triple cross agent Zigzag -Edward Arnold Chapman and Operation Crossbow (there was a film with George Peppard based on and titled Operation Crossbow in 1965 and Christopher Plummer played Chapman in the 1966 film Triple Cross).
Recommended
Tuesday 23 April 2024
Monday 22 April 2024
Cinebook Ltd: YOKO TSUNO 19 - THE ASTROLOGIST OF BRUGES
Author: Roger Leloup
Age: 8 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
Publication: April 2024
£8.99 incl VAT
ISBN: 9781800441309
Yoko goes to Bruges, Belgium. She’s been invited there by a local artist, Van Laet, who wants to show the portrait of her he supposedly painted. Taking in the sights before their appointment, the young woman learns that the man has an unpleasant reputation – it is said he made a deal with the devil.
When they finally meet, the painter produces the portrait and claims that Yoko posed for it … in the 16th century!
Whooh! "Come and see your portrait I painted -do you mind syringes or guns?" We have all been there (or is it just me?) Yes, Yoko and her pals go back in time to sort out the mystery and as you might expect get into other trouble. But with time travel there are consequences despite what you might see on Dr Who.
The art as always is lovely and detailed and the architecture in particular is finely detailed and well worth checking out panels individually. I believe it was Gil Kane (I know it was) who when asked why he never put backgrounds in the early Green Lantern comics responded that no one was interested in backgrounds just the fights. Well I am glad Leloup never had that attitude!
For a series I started out thinking was going to be a "kiddies comic" I soon found out that it is good story-telling, action and adventure with plenty of science fiction. Always recommended.
Sunday 21 April 2024
Hexagon Comcs: STRANGERS 11: FINALLY... ZEMBLA!
7x10 squarebound trade paperback,
94 p.
b&w
ISBN-13: 978-1-64932-267-8. -Contents:
- Foreword by J.-M. Lofficier
- CHAOS IN KARUNDA by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by José Luis Ruiz Pérez
- ZEMBLA VS YATAN! by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by José Luis Ruiz Pérez
- FRANCE UNDER FIRE! by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Nestor Vargas Campo
- RETURN OF THE ATTATURKEY by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Nestor Vargas Campo
HOMICRON, a NASA scientist whose body is possessed by a mysterious alien from planet Alpha.
STARLOCK, a servant of the Towers, supremely powerful cosmic entities.
FUTURA, a mysterious woman from a parallel dimension.
JAYDEE, a teenage, alien metamorph, abandoned on Earth as a baby, and who may well be the deadliest killing machine in the universe...
These characters, all “strangers” to Earth, are brought together by TANKA, a former jungle lord who has been recruited by entities from our planet’s farthest future to be their “time agent” and is now empowered to protect our world from extra-terrestrial menaces.
In this eleventh volume of Strangers, the heroes clash with the renegade Salamandrite known only as Mr. 17, to prevent the return of his alien masters, the Wan Lords, whom Kabur once defeated in the distant past...
First, they travel to the African jungle of Karunda, and then to a secret research facility in the South of France, to stop Mr. 17 from using dimensional gateways to bring the space vampires to Earth.
Special guest-stars: The Guardian of the Republic! Zembla! And the amazing Attaturkey!