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
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.
Thursday 18 April 2024
Review: My First Big Book of Utter (C)RAP
- US Letter, 8.5×11 in, 22×28 cm
Pages: 20
£5.00
Underground comic legend Richard Pester brings us a new magazine featuring his groundbreaking graphic novel Trials of the Cosmic Oddity, also featuring material from over three decades of art.
Just to explain (though it should be obvious) the title is a humorous play on the creator's initials -RAP- and (c) so "CRAP". Some of our non-English readers might have wondered about that!
That does not tell you much but when I received this along with issue 2 the first thing that hit me were the covers -the image here does not do it justice at all. Then I did what I always do and that is look at the production quality from paper to printing and binding (old habits die hard). It is very nicely put together and the colour reproduction is as good as you'll get with, say, Cinebook Ltd.
Having seen the original Cosmic Oddity (all three parts) I was hoping that it might get combined into one book -it would be the British equivalent to Harvey Pekar's American Splendor. What I want and what I get are two different things, however -so my mother always said. In this abbreviated form it still works and this time in colour and that I was not expecting.
There is a text piece about The Cosmic Oddity and two pages of Pester's other character Derna and tracing her history. Plus there is a homage to Saphire and Steel -possibly one of the best ever supernatural/sci fi ITV serials of the 1970-1980s.
For me this was a breath of fresh air and at £5 well worth it. I have seen the second issue and it's just as good and will review it once the ordering details are to hand.
Give yourself a treat and maybe some inspiration and try a copy because £5 these days is not a lot to spend on a comic especially one as unique as this.
Cinebook Ltd: A Homage To Morris's Lonesome Cowboy Untamed!
48pp
colour
A4 comic album
UK £8.99
US $12.95
Lucky Luke enters a small town to drop off at the sheriff's office a young man who tried to steal Jolly Jumper. A few miles down the road, in the middle of nowhere, he suddenly finds himself threatened... by a little girl! Young Rose and her brother are currently alone in their cabin after the mysterious disappearance of their parents. Luke will have to investigate, but also take care of two particularly wild and undisciplined children!
Well this is why reviewing can be a pain in the bum. This album dos not appear on Cinebook's webpage so I cannot give a link to order from there. So I spend an hour scouring the internet and find details on Amazon -a company I prefer not to give any publicity to. However, it does state: "This title will be released on July 1, 2024." I see what you did there, Cinebook....
Anyway, first thing I noticed was the cover and my first thought was "That is Lucky Luke?"
Hexagon Comics: KABUR #6: THE FIRES OF FORALUME
by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Luciano Bernasconi; Roberto Castro, José Luis Ruiz Pérez; cover by Roberto Castro.
7x10 squarebound comic,
96 pages
b&w
ISBN-13: 978-1-64932-256-2.
US$14.95. GBP 12.99
https://www.hexagoncomics.com/shop-kabur-6-the-fires-of-foralume.html
ARIANROD: THE SCOURGE OF THE TSUNABI by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Roberto Castro
25. THE FIRES OF FORALUME by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by José Luis Ruiz Pérez
The SAGA OF KABUR continues!
After defeating the evil Ghool, Kabur and Arianrod suddenly find themselves pitted against the diabolical schemes of the witch SHANGA KHOUR and the mysterious TIME RIDER. To defeat them, Kabur will have to overcome the lethal traps of the ghostly town of N’THALEK...
KABUR and ARIANROD then reach the great harbor city of FORALUME, where Lagrid was once sold as a slave. Still on the trail of SELINOR PSAH, the powerful sultan-sorcerer who kidnapped LAGRID, they find themselves caught up in a deadly plot hatched by the SHAIKORTIN Reavers who seek to take over FORALUME…
In a third bonus story, the beautiful Fomore princess ARIANROD, after having left her home, unmasks a murderer and confronts the PLAGUE OF THE TSUNABI...