Buck Danny Classics 10 - The Hunt for Molotok-41

 

Authors: Frédéric Zumbiehl and Frédéric Marniquet; illustrated by André Le Bras
Age: 12 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages:  48 colour pages
 ISBN: 9781800441804

£8.99 incl VAT

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/buck-danny-classics-hunt-molotok-p-4594.html

1958. Buck Danny continues the covert operation intended to rescue American nuclear scientists kidnapped by the USSR in 1951. Unfortunately, nothing goes as planned, and Buck and friends find themselves struggling to escape the clutches of deadly SMERSH operatives – the Red Army’s counter-intelligence arm … From Russia to Iran and Turkey, from desperate dogfights in the air to commando operations on the ground, courage and consummate skill will be the key words of this conclusion to a two-part story. 

First thing: although Cinebook lists vol 9 on its site re Buck Danny Classics none of the other volumes showed up and 10 is nowhere to be found. I had to do an internet search to actually find the details... on the Cinebook site!!! No idea what is going on there but I';ve given the links to save you getting an headache.

Now, a spoiler but not a major one: in the last book Sonny was arrested for the murder of someone close to him. Away from Buck and his friends things look like they might get a little rough but one thing is certain: Sonny is toughing it out.

Meanwhile Buck and friends are knee deep in action and at one point things are looking a little bleak for them until "someone" rescues them!

Gun fights, shark attack and more than a few surprises are in store for any avid reader of this series and the rather sinister organisation that just lost its leader has a new one appointed: none other than Miss Lee -and she is one Sonny's revenge list!

Buck Danny Classics 9 - Flight of the Rapier

 

Authors: Frédéric Zumbiehl and Frédéric Marniquet; illustrated by André Le Bras
Age: 12 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages:  48 colour pages

ISBN: 9781800441798
£8.99 incl VAT

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/buck-danny-classics-flight-rapier-p-4593.html

1951. A plane carrying an American general and 40 nuclear technicians makes an emergency landing off the coast of Ireland. When rescuers reach the spot, though, they find nothing – no life rafts, no bodies … The West cannot afford to leave anyone with knowledge of atomic weapons in enemy hands, so it will be up to Buck and his friends to find the missing men, thanks to an experimental, high-altitude, Mach 3-capable aircraft: the Rapier …

That's the aircraft called Rapier NOT the Rapier Anti-Aircraft missile system. Mentioning that before anyone else does 😋 

I think there are enough Buck Danny fans out there who know what to expect -action, well drawn aircraft and a few plot twists. Espionage can get dirty as Sonny finds out. The series is not just about nice looking military jets flying around, which some people imagine it to be. I mean, enemy spies killing MI5 agents and scarpering before "the SAS get here" is far removed from flying. Before anyone says anything; this series is set in 1951 and from the end of WW2 into the 1950s the SAS were involved in going after Nazi war criminals as well as other "enemy threats".

I know there are a few Buck Danny fan sites out there and I know they like hearing when the next English language edition appears (some collect in as many languages as they can). Well -here you go lads and another is on its way!

Remember ordering from Cinebook direct helps them keep the cash flow going because most publishers lose out on services like Amazon. Show Cinebook some love!

Cinebook: Emilie's Inheritance vol.5 - The Arcana

 

Author: Florence Magnin
Age: 12 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 64 colour pages
£11.99 incl VAT

ISBN: 9781800441811

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/emilies-inheritance-vol5-arcana-p-4595.html

The Hatcliff Estate is dying, but its inhabitants have one last chance to escape the accelerated march of time: Emilie believes she has found the entrance to the Labyrinth, a passage to other worlds – a whole galaxy, waiting. Meanwhile, Hatcliff goes to plead with the Arcana, the mysterious entity rumoured to reign over the interstellar gates. He wants to put his mistakes right and saves his old friends in the estate. Can he really trust the Arcana, though …?

The one thing I can say about this series is that Magnin has written  a series that you will need to read through more than once. Not just that but she has drawn and coloured every single page to perfection for the story; I get somewhat jaded at times and after almost four decades of reviewing that should not come as a surprise to anyone.

The characters are drawn beautifully but then the scenes are just so well drawn that they often had me stopping for a minute or so just to take them all in. From spooky magical forest, to some incredibly drawn architecture and all coloured in ways to add even more atmosphere to the scene/story.

Sitting back and thinking about it I believe that this is one of the best and freshest series Cinebook has published in the last couple of years. I hope we see more from Florence Magnin in the future.

Do I recommend the series? YES. It's only 5 volumes and you can buy from Cinebook direct. This afternoon I may well sit back and start from volume 1 again.

Cinebook Ltd: The Bluecoats 19 - Drummer Boy

 

 Authors: Lambil & Cauvin

Age: 8 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
 ISBN: 9781800441774

£8.99 incl VAT Buy direct from Cinebook at https://www.cinebook.co.uk/bluecoats-drummer-p-4592.html

After yet another bloody battle, the Union Army organises a recruiting drive during which Blutch attempts to dissuade an obviously too young boy from signing up. To no avail, though, and before long the kid, Pucky, joins them as … a drummer boy! 

While Chesterfield is tasked with looking after him, Pucky begins to practice his drumming – much to the displeasure of the troops, who are eager to get some rest before the major engagement looming on the horizon.

There is one thing that I have pointed out before and I will point it out here once again. The creators do not hide the fact that the American Civil War was BAD but around this they produce stories that are quite funny. In this book the first page deals with the aftermath of a battle and the commanders on both sides reacting to casualty figures. The book then ends with....the aftermath of a battle and the commanders on both sides reacting to casualty figures!

Sadly, men were cannon fodder and The Blue Coats tend to show this. That written; the humour, which can be slap-stick at times, always works with two characters you might call "Dumb-ass" at one point and "Total ----" the next but that makes them and their adventures even more fun -they are flawed characters who will even fight like two tom cats in a field hospital.

There is NOTHING gory shown. I will admit that at one point I thought they were going to have the drummer boy shot down in battle. He wasn't.

I always recommend The Blue Coats and there are now 19 volumes for you lucky folk to collect!

Cinebook Ltd: Amazonia 5 - Episode 5 (Finale)

 

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
Publication: January 2026

ISBN: 9781800441781

£7.99 incl VAT
 

Kathy Austin and her Brazilian Navy partner have finally stumbled upon the lost German submarine but quickly discover that they aren’t the first to set foot in it since it was abandoned. When Reinhart and the doctor, the two Nazis looking for the gold hidden in the U-boot, arrive in turn, bringing with them Jo, the albino with otherworldly powers, secrets will be revealed, old debts will be settled, and the British spy will finally be able to close her investigation – for now.

Part 4 (july 2025)  https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2025/07/cinebook-ltd-amazonia-4-episode-4.html

Part 3 (March 2025) https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2025/03/cinebook-ltd-amazonia-3-episode-3.html

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

I can never find a fault in this series as it is very well written, drawn exceptionally well and the colour work adds a great deal to the overall work. However, and as I am getting older it matters, three years to publish five volumes can be seen as a bit of a stretch, The problem is that we, the readers, do not know what goes on behind the scenes and, importantly, the translation has to be carried out and that is not quick.

I wonder whether there is more of Jo's story to be told. From suspected extraterrestrial to genetic experiment his story has been quite bumpy..in fact, in this volume I thought "That's it. He's dead"..but that is where the reader gets fooled (damn writers!!!).  There are a few surprises and a snappy ending for someone (you will laugh hysterically at that if you've read it...no, you will).

I suspect Kathy has not seen her last mission for British Intelligence and this creative team keeps things nice and fresh so we'll see!

There are five volumes in Kathy's first mission, Kenya and five in her second outing, Namibia. All three volumes together ought to keep the X Files fans out there happy as well as the sci fi buffs.All series are still available via Cinebook and their web site -the best way to order. 

Purchase direct from Cinebook: https://www.cinebook.co.uk/amazonia-episode-p-4591.html

Black Tower Super Heroes The Ultimate Game

 

A rather  heavy book envelope arrived today and I thought "this is going to take a while to read and review!" but on opening I found it was MY book.  The fact that I always opt for premier paper and printing really pays off  But the book is done so I will only ever check it for back issue referencing.  Cover came out far better than I expected!

Story Terry Hooper-Scharf

Art Terry Hooper-Scharf, Thorroe Prey, P. Beard, Tomas Scharf

Pages

188

Binding Type

Paperback Perfect Bound

Interior Color

Black & White

Dimensions

A4 (8.27 x 11.69 in / 210 x 297 mm)

£15.00 UK  see online store for outside UK price

https://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/black-tower-super-heroes-the-ultimate-game/paperback/product-95d9z68.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 The mystical traveller of the realms, The Thinker, meets a stranger while travelling along the Path of Counter Actuality. But this stranger is a different type of traveller: he is Illuyanka and he has been charged with on sworn duty –to destroy specific Earths in the multiverse.

Finding that Illuyanka is partial to gambling the Thinker risks all by challenging him to a cosmic game pitting heroes against various challenges: they lose then their Earth dies. The Thinker has no doubt that with all of his knowledge he can win. But Illuyanka is not what he seems.

A story that throws in as many super heroes and villains as you could ever want plus an Earths parallel crossing storyline that will have you wondering who the real bad guy is!

Final Cover For The Ultimate Game

  I started this at 1100hrs this morning and had various cover designs worked out but one thing after another led to them being thrown away.

Here are the three cover designs I went with..

This one (above)  I did not like "The Ultimate Game" font. Really not happy with it.

The above has a bold and brassy font BUT it just did not seem  right -I tried 40 different fonts with cover 1 and this one. Almost gave up.

The cover below will be the final one. Not what I wanted but "The Ultimate Game" font seems to work. I am NOT a cover artist but with a small company now having everything done by one man (me) it simply has to do.

The storyline:

The mystical traveller of the realms, The Thinker, meets a stranger while

travelling along the Path of Counter Actuality. But this stranger is a different type of traveller: he is Illuyanka and he has been charged with on sworn duty –to destroy specific Earths in the multiverse.

 

Finding that Illuyanka is partial to gambling the Thinker risks all by challenging him to a cosmic game pitting heroes against various challenges: they lose then their Earth dies.

 

The Thinker has no doubt that with all of his knowledge he can win.

 

But Illuyanka is not what he seems.