Cinebook Ltd -The Bluecoats 18 - Duel in the Channel

 

Authors: Lambil & Cauvin
Age: 8 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
Publication: January 2025

£8.99 incl VAT

 ISBN: 9781800441521

1864. The USS Kearsarge, a Union warship, puts in at the port of Amsterdam. Its mission in Europe: to stop the predations of the Alabama, a confederate privateer that’s been preying on the transatlantic trade. Aboard are Blutch and Chesterfield, threatened with a firing squad by an irascible general, and sent to lie low in the Navy by their own superiors. Soon, the Alabama is spotted, and the Union ship rushes to intercept it. The confrontation will take place in the English Channel!

Well, what can I say?  After (a lot of) years telling people that the Confederate and Union navies had a battle in the English /French Channel Cinebook vindicates me! That our heroes end up in the Union Navy should be no big surprise since they have been in the cavalry and involved in ballooning.

There are some liberties taken in the story for comedic effect and so that our Blue Duo can get involved  There is the naval battle and the general carnage of war and the sad aftermath but our two numb-heads keep on going and one of them even tries his hand at surgery while the other...uh...tries his hand at going green and casting out "green comets" -you have to guess which or, perhaps, buy the book and find out?

This series is always fun as well as a tad educational (we'll ignore that last part so as to not put off anyone with an education allergy).

Always fun and always recommended.

Oh, in case you are interested you can learn about The Battle of Cherbourg here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cherbourg_(1864)

Cinebook Ltd -Buck Danny Classics 8 - The Eagle's Nest

 

Authors: Frédéric Zumbiehl and Frédéric Marniquet; illustrated by André Le Bras
Age: 10 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages:  48 colour pages
Publication: October 2024  

£8.99 incl VAT

ISBN: 9781800441460

The operation to rescue Tumb from the Nazis hiding in Argentina has derailed dramatically, and now Sonny, too, is a prisoner. That leaves Buck and Mossad agent Beata to continue the search, both for their friends and for the secret Nazi base. A mission that is becoming more urgent by the hour, as this remnant of the Third Reich managed to escape with some of their secret weapons at the end of the war, and are preparing for a major operation …. 

Well, sod it. I lost the bet with myself. The shadowy figure at the end of Sea Dart was not Adolf Hitler but....Martin Bormann. If you ask "Who he?" go back to school. I now owe myself £10 I do not have.  Or as Buck explains when meeting the Nazi: "The padre?...wait...that face...you're actually...Martin Bormann!  Hitler's former right-hand man!"

And, yes, even the highly trained Mossad agent hadn't realised.  Wearing a disguise when dressed as the padre might have justified the shock of the revelation but...these two don't turn out to be the finest brains out there.

Apart from that it turns out that Bormann was not just Hitler's right hand man (gasp!) he was also in charge of secret projects such as an anti-gravity one.   So some old German jets equipped with anti-gravity systems are part of the master plan to bomb any part of the world and bring about the (are you ready for this?)..Fourth Reich.  Damn I never saw that one coming. Well......

Anyway, in true Bond style the Nazi underground complex is infiltrated and thanks to the good ole United States of America (and Mossad) the plot is thwarted and so the most wanted Nazi on Earth meets his doom....oh...he doesn't. But HOW could he escape?!

He dressed up as a padre and drove away.

So, if I get this correct just changing your clothes makes you impervious to detection?  If so then Frau Klangenwursthung over in the next village really could have been Hitler?!  It would explain the moustache.

This is good old hokum fun and enjoyable and I suspect there was some tongue-in-cheek writing going on here. Its action packed and its a fun read and it is something we need these days!

Hexagon Comics -Strangers 12: In the Era of King Kabur

 

Jean-MarcLofficier; art by Eduardo Garcia, Manuel Martin Peniche, Christophe Ouvrard; cover by Manuel Martin Peniche.

7x10 square bound trade paperback, 

94 pp 

b&w
ISBN-13: 978-1-64932-313-2 

US$12.95

Contents:
- Foreword by J.-M. Lofficier
- In the Era of King Kabur by Jean-Marc Lofficier & Manuel Martin Peniche
- Behold Baltazar! by Jean-Marc Lofficier & Manuel Martin Peniche & Christophe Ouvrard
- Morgane Hunted by Jean-Marc Lofficier & Eduardo Garcia 
- Mr. 17 Unmasked by Jean-Marc Lofficier & Christophe Ouvrard

HOMICRON is a NASA scientist whose body is inhabited by a mysterious alien from planet Alpha.
STARLOCK is the former servant of supremely powerful cosmic entities.
FUTURA is a mysterious woman from a parallel dimension.
JAYDEE is a teenage alien metamorph 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 agent and is now empowered to protect our world from extra-terrestrial menaces.

In this twelfth volume of Strangers, Tanka, Homicron and Starlock have traveled back in time to the era of King Kabur to try to learn how the legendary hero once defeated the alien Wan Lords. Meanwhile, in the present, the C.L.A.S.H. has its hands full with Mr. 17, whose secret identity is at last revealed, while Futura comes across a new threat...
 
Special guest-stars: King Kabur! Morgane!

Stating that Tanks's masters are "sexist" because the outfit left for Dr Towers made her look like Princess Leia's slave girl .... yeah, there are a few of the Strangers characters she needs to lecture on that one (I am not mentioning Futura by name).  But in the Age of Barbarians you dress to blend in -first rule of time travel. Slightly depowered our heroes still get to meet Kabur. (The Avengers never met Conan!).

There is also a point in the story in which Kabur meets his son. It does not go well. 

On my first looking at this story I did not think that Peniche's style of artwork would be the wisest choice.  However, on sitting down and looking at it I can say that his style does work. It sort of looks like a mix of an Indie style you might have gotten in the old Harrier Comics and a UK weekly adventure comic. So, yeah it works fine.

I was not as keen on Ouvrard's style. Backgrounds, etc all looked fine but his characters tended to look rather cartoony/anime like which threw things off for me. Garcia's artwork with its clear black and white style worked.  

With Mr 17 Unmasked we were back with Ouvrard and the style really showed through and I suspect that Ouvrard is a budding Mangaka -it is evident in the characters, backgrounds and so much more. I have nothing against Manga (as I think everyone knows) but for me the style clashed with the more Western styles used in the rest of the book. That is just me and I know how popular Manga is but my eyes are old!

Overall, I would say that this was a great cross-over and adventure/action book and "Manga style" probably adds a few bonus points to it.  Good solid stories and dialogue and at the price well worth getting a copy to add to your comic collection.

Hexagon Comics -Kabur #9: The House of the Green Priest: Celebrating 50 Years!

 

 Jean-Marc Lofficier, Roy Thomas; 

art by Roberto Castro, Nestor Vargas, Manuel Martin

Peniche; cover by Roberto Castro

7x10 squarebound comic, 

100 pages 

b&w

ISBN-13: 978-1-64932-373-6 - 

$14.95

https://www.hexagoncomics.com/shop-kabur-9-the-house-of-the-green-priest.html

28. THE HOUSE OF THE GREEN PRIEST  by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Nestor Vargas.
29. THE HEART OF THE ELEPHANT story by Roy Thomas, dialogue by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Roberto Castro.
30. THE CURSE story by Roy Thomas, based on Rudyard Kipling, dialogue by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Manuel Martin Peniche
31. THE RING OF JHINJAEL by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Manuel Martin Peniche

Continuing on his journey south, KABUR arrives in the merchant city of Mwizaruku where he join forces with his old allies, NEVLAK and SEBHO, to thwart a former foe thirsting for revenge... 

This soon leads the trio into a fierce battle against various hostile factions, all eager to acquire the otherworldly Heart of the Elephant...

Kabur then crosses paths with a man who is the victim of a terrifying curse... 

Having resumed his journey, the Prince of Thule is then taken prisoner by the fearsome queen Jhinjael and finds himself fated to die in the deadly arena of the enchanted city of Komong...
 
Four spectacular Kabur stories, including two by legendary Conan writer Roy Thomas, wonderfully illustrated by Roberto Castro, Manuel Martin Peniche and Nestor Vargas.

Oh, this is the one you've waited for!  You were waiting for this one, right? Well, a hundred pager for under $15 dollars in 2025 is pretty rare and what a treat -notice Roy Thomas's name there?

First thing: NO, that is NOT Dr Doom on the cover (he's already on 121 Marvel covers this week).

Campo's art on The House of the Green Priest is wonderfully detailed with an almost fine pencilling quality and his fight scenes are rendered superbly. Looking at the work I would say that if it were coloured it would lose a lot of its edge and this story is a good example of how black and white can sometimes out do colour comics. Castro's art in The Heart of the Elephant is nice and clean and just as admirable as Campo's. Bao is also an interesting character but so are Nevlak and Sebho so maybe future appearances?

Then we come to what I personally see as the best Story The Curse in which Peniche's artwork quite literally drips with old style horror comic art. Dark and broody to accompany a story that, despite being based on one by Kipling, has so many unique touches and I loved it. A barbarian horror story.  In case you are wondering which Kipling story this is based on it is Rudyard Kipling's "The Mark of the Beast" from, I believe, 1890? The story tells of Fleete, and Englishman who desecrates an Hindu temple and is cursed by a leper priest (who else?) and is transformed into a wolf-like creature.The battle with the cultists as well as Kabur's fight to save Wonjin (standing in for Fleete) and the eventual inevitable fight between man and beast... spot on.

The Ring of Jhinjael also has a horror angle with vampires and Kabur has a new ally in Osk -a huge talking lion. Peniche again delivers great art that suits the story to a "T" although "V" might be more appropriate considering the vampire angle!

The stories and dialogue are spot on throughout and if you wanted to get just one Kabur issue to see if it met your tastes I would say buy this one and l;earn a lesson: never get drunk and desecrate a temple. It ain't good for you.

Highly recommended.

Cinebook Ltd -Amazonia 3 - Episode 3

 

Authors: LEO & Rodolphe; illustrated by Bertrand Marchal
Age: 15 years and up
Size: 18.4 x 25.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages

£7.99 incl VAT

ISBN: 9781800441538
Publication: January 2025
 https://www.cinebook.co.uk/amazonia-episode-p-4566.html

Two separate expeditions into the heart of the Amazon rainforest have trespassed upon Yanomami territory. On one side, Reinhard and his Nazis are looking for a sunken submarine and the gold it transported. On the other, Kathy Austin and Captain Delio of the Brazilian Navy are tracking a potentially extraterrestrial being. Threatened by both the hostile natives and the dangerous jungle itself, all will soon come to realise that the two quests may, in fact, be one and the same …

Oh it is definitely me.  I noticed how I've put in reviews how long it has taken for the next volume in a series to appear. In this case I saw Amazonia 3 and just said "And how long ago was number 2 out?!"  Last October to be precise as both part 1 and 2 were reviewed in one post!

https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2024/10/cinebook-ltd-amazonia-1-episode-1-and-2.html

it is pure age m'dears! As you get older you start screaming and running away when a publisher says "Here is volume 1 of a 24 volume series that will appear over the next 5 years" -am I going to live that long???

Anyway, old age concerns out of the way...The artwork is, as always, superb. Sebastien Bouet's colour work adds so much more depth to what Marchal has drawn.  We get more twists as well as more action -mainly in the jungle as Kathy actually gets to encounter the tall and very mysterious stranger and gets to see a sample of what he can do with his powers.

There are a few levels to this story with side plots and sub-plots and each one then has me wanting to know what happens.  It is good to have a female protagonist in the form of Kathy Austin as she moves on from Kenya to Namibia (do a quick CBO search and you'll find the reviews) and now Amazonia.  Is there anywhere else she can go on an investigation to? Antarctica?

The end leaves everything on a cliff hanger and while that builds up the excitement for some I want to know what happens. Now.

Cinebook Ltd - Lucky Luke 83 - Trouble Brewing

Authors: Jul; illustrated by Achdé
Age: 8 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
Publication: December 2024 

£8.99 inc VAT

ISBN: 9781800441514

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/lucky-luke-trouble-brewing-p-4565.html

Travelling to the northern state of Wisconsin, Lucky Luke finds a population deeply depressed by a beer shortage that has caused all saloons in the area to close. Desperate, the inhabitants of New München beg Luke to talk to the brewers of Milwaukee. But the cause of the shortage is a strike, and the cowboy is more used to chasing outlaws in the Great Plains than to forcing negotiations between unions and bosses in a city where the first skyscrapers are already sprouting …

The Daltons in lederhosen?  No. Just no. And Jorg...I mean Joe...wow does he have anger management issues...but he looks pretty hot in lederhosen.

Its funny. It has gags. It has everything you expect from a Lucky Luke book and the artwork is enhanced by some super colour work and tones. So, uh, well done Mel Acryl'ink😂

Come on a brewery using prisoners to carry out the work is bad enough but when those prisoners are the Daltons and Lucky Luke is within shooting range....but, hang on -they'll never get hold of a gun, right?  Why 'of course not'!

The last six panels on the final page had me smiling.

And this is album number 83. 83! Just scrolling down the Cinebook LL page is enough to make you smile and poke your tongue out at the people who said "It'll never get beyond 5 or 6!"  Oddly, I never saw 1-4 but it is a terrific and fun series to get the kids (or older kids) hooked on!

Hexagon Comics -Kabur #7: The Jewels of Cing-Kor

 

Jean-Marc Lofficier

 art by Roberto Castro, Mario Guevara; cover by Mario Guevara.

7x10 squarebound comic, 

108 pages 

b&w
ISBN-13: 978-1-64932-306-4. 

US$14.95

https://www.hexagoncomics.com/shop-kabur-7-the-jewels-of-cing-kor.html

26. THE SEAL OF THE SHAIKORTIN story Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Roberto Castro
27. THE JEWELS OF CING-KOR story by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Mario Guevara;
Portfolio Manuel Martin Peniche; Mario Guevara

After avoiding the many traps of the city of Foralume, KABUR, now alone since Arianrod’s departure, must cross the Purple Sea to reach the Southern Continent of Gondaxa, which he must also cross in order to rescue the beautiful LAGRID, kidnapped by SELINOR PSAH, the powerful sorcerer-sultan of the distant city of Arkhanal.

But Psah creates a magic storm which causes Kabur to run aground near the citadel of Yaros, currently besieged by the formidable SHAIKORTIN pirates who seek to retake it from the TOADMEN OF NUNIA, who have seized it. In the midst of this savage battle, Kabur meets a traveler from the Future, TANKA, and finally unravels the mystery of his older brother’s disappearance...

After the siege of Yaros, KABUR finally arrives in Gondaxa in the port of Cing-Kor. But, without resources to continue his journey, he is forced to join forces with FERRANE. a young thief who plans to steal the treasure of the sinister magician NODON. But the wizard is not defenseless, and the enterprise quickly proves more perilous than expected, especially since Ferrane has not told Kabur the whole truth...

Roberto Castro's clean black and white work looks superb and the story is full of surprises including the fact that Tanka gets involved and that may hint at some future tie-ins. Lady Falconer is some villainess...or must we call her a "villain" now?  Whatever, it is a good read.

The Peniche portfolio has some lovely solid black and white artwork which catches the eye.

Guavara's portfolio of pencil work is enough to make anyone drool -all of the fine detail that will be inked over but...

When those pages appear in The Jewels of Cing-Kor Sandoval uses not just solid blacks but relies heavily on grey-toning which can be a big mistake.  In this case he has obviously mastered the use and to great effect. 

The stories are, obviously, well written and thought out and action paced carefully. Kabur has developed from a less filled out character in the old stories (some may argue) to a much more complex one.  I think most people who have never read Sword and Sorcery stories just assume its all evil wizard and "Ugh! Smash bad man!" barbarians (that does seem to be a belief).  If you want good art, good stories and to see a well characterised "barbarian" and his adventures then Kabur is a series for you!