Friday, 24 August 2012

Casterman: Piege Nuptial/Breeding Trap




Piege Nuptial/Breeding Trap
Author: Christian De Metter
Paperback
Full colour
122pp
Dimensions: 18.6×26.1×1.5 cm
ISBN: 2203044454
EAN: 9782203044456
Price: € 18.00
Date of publication: 22/08/2012

A young American, Nick, is in a break between jobs and in Australia.  He buys a clapped out old Volkswagen camper and sets off.  Eventually he enters into what he thinks will be a brief fling with a hitchhiker, Angie.  But here’s the cautionary bit: Angie drugs Nick and he awakens in Wollanup, a town in the middle of the outback that does not appear on any maps.

Against his will, Nick becomes the “husband” of Angie, and then has to get acquainted with his new family: a  rather crude, violent and degenerate community. The heads of the families of this community forbid anyone from leaving the group –under penalty of death … Stripped of his passport and money and under constant surveillance, Nick thinks only of escaping. But how to escape from this hell?

Based on the book by Douglas Kennedy, there is something of a cautionary tale about the dangers of picking up unknown female hitch-hikers and casual sex though it goes deeper.  There is almost a feel of the movies Southern Comfort  and Deliverance here. And there are a couple of nice twists –the final page had me chuckling out loud even though it was a little bit of a cliché –it worked.

As for the artwork, which looks like water colour work (so I’ll probably be told its all computer coloured!) it captures the feel of the story and makes the entire thing feel like a French movie and Nick reminded me somewhat of Jean-Pierre Martins from the French zombie movie The Horde (which, in case you’ve not seen it is fantastic!).

Another excellent new book from Casterman.








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