Cinebook Ltd Lucky Luke Dakota 1880

 

Authors: Appollo and Brüno
Age: 8 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 64 colour pages
£11.99 incl VAT  

 ISBN: 9781800441927

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/lucky-luke-dakota-1880-p-4601.html

In this homage to the legendary Lonesome Cowboy, Appollo and Brüno, through seven short stories linked together in a single narrative, give us a glimpse of Lucky Luke’s life before he became the righter of wrongs we all know. 

As a mere employee of a stagecoach company, he embarks on a dangerous journey from Dakota to California during which he’ll meet several remarkable characters, several of whom will make it into the history books – and alter his life forever. edes him, and when the townspeople ask him to investigate a hold-up in place of the sheriff – none other than James Bone – the tension ratchets up another notch …  

I have no idea what "nd alter his life forever. edes him, " in the Cinebook site means!  Might be "His reputation precedes him"? It would make sense.

Now, if you are a fan of Lucky Luke then this book may come as a bit of a shock to you -if you read Wanted: Lucky Luke you might be prepared! 

https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2022/05/cinebook-wanted-lucky-luke.html

The art style is what can only be described as very European in style and that is not a bad thing. Lots of colour use to enhance scenes The art also relies a lot more on solid black than the more traditional Luke books do. 

When I opened the book first I thought "Oh bloody hell what have they done?" and put it back down. In fact, picking it up again two days later I quite enjoyed it. This is not the gag riddled Luke but a slightly more serious take on the character -at one point we see him having been "neck-tied" to a tree. The stories all build up a back story of Lukes life although I do wonder if old time fans will like this?  I suppose the easiest way of readsing this is to say the Luke in these stories are an alternative universe version.  For me I immediately switched off any connection with the more humorous Lucky Luke and read this as a grit-and-all Western.

The stories are all well written and paced and build up the character well. I kept seeing him as a young James Stewart!  Luke's interaction with indigenous people that looked like it was heading to  violence...you'll have to see. Nice twist.  The hanging, the teaching a young man to use a gun all works in well with traditional Western tropes and gave a fascinating read.

Talking of which: the text feature is an interview with Gustav Frankenbaum about the old dime novel Westerns and their connection to Lucky Luke.

All-in-all it was a good read and if you are a Luke fan give this a try as you may have heard the wrong things about this t6ake on the character.  Recommended and, PLEASE, order direct frokm Cinebook!