Val Kilmer 1959 - 2025

 

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)

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Was Mcfarlane's DC Multiverse a failure...?

It Took Over 50 Years But Colossus Has arrived

Back in the 1960s and 1970s there were no action figures. You wanted Captain America, Thor, Batman or, say, Billy the Cat then you turned to that wondrous material Plasticine (it's basically what Ardman Animation did).

Kotar and Sabuta, The Missing Link and other heroes I created were all built from Plasticine and it took a couple packets to make my own version of Giant Man -Colossus. The character appeared in Return of the Gods Twilight of the Super Heroes but I always wanted to have the classic look.

I wanted a Colossus to add to my growing number of adventure characters in 54 mm (1/32nd) scale. I found a very cheap 6 inch wrestling figure (the Rock) and Milliput  for hair wrist band and comm-watch as well as belt control and....

Voila!

Hmm. Ignore the 60mm Crescent cowboys  -I've been on a big figure paint spree.

Above: Herald/Lone Star 54mm Tarzan figure and a Crescent Native American as Blue Eagle and behind him to the left Mr Bat and right the Bat. Colossus fits in with these well.
 

For some reason after I finished this one I smiled. Maybe I'm going senile...or having fond memories?

Hexagon Comics -The Partisans 3: War's End

 

7x10 square bound comic, 

48 pages 

b&w
ISBN-13: 978-1-64932-333-0.

 US$10.95

https://www.hexagoncomics.com/shop-the-partisans-3-wars-end.html

cover: Luciano Bernasconi

THE FIRST DAY 
Story:: J.-M. Lofficer; Art: Mario Guevara 

THE LAST DAY 
Story: Thierry Mornet; Dialogues: J.-M. Lofficer; Art: Luciano Bernasconi 

Spring 1945. The end of the Second World War is near... Paris has just been liberated... The Germans are retreating everywhere... The Americans are coming... However, there is still time for some desperate missions, such as stopping a last train of Jewish children from being taken by the Nazis to the death camps!
 
The Guardian of the Republic and Marianne, Baroud and Princess Sadko of the Partisans, will each face incredible obstacles in order to halt this abominable project. And their success will only come at the price of the blood shed for some of them...
 
But while one war is about to end, another, perhaps even more violent and merciless one, is already beginning...
 
These two sagas from the last days of the Second World War have been created by Thierry Mornet & Luciano Bernasconi, and Jean-Marc Lofficier & Mario Guevara.


The strongest story was  The First Day Guevara's art on this looks almost pencil and washes. It's quite effective.  With the Princess shot down by a traitor will we ever learn what the Crimen Project is?! This is certainly the best of this volume.

It was interesting to see Bernasconi's art as the Guardian of the Republic faces a tough fight and a fight that could prove fatal but along the way he meets his 21st century counterpart and Dr Omega.  Will this be the 1940s Guardian of the Republic's final battle?

Hopefully we will see vengeance over the shooting and betrayal of the Princess and the Allies but only time will tell. Perhaps things will move on to the Cold War?

A fun read.

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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!

Cinebook Newsletter 207 - March 2025

 

Dear Reader, The wait is finally over: they’re here! Volumes 1 and 2 of our brand-new, exclusive-to-Cinebook Blake & Mortimer – The Complete Collection series are available, and they are gorgeous! They’re 224 pages of concentrated comics history – and exciting adventures of course! – lovingly placed inside a hard cover, with three stories collected inside each and a whole extra book’s worth of additional material on those titles, the series as a whole, the author and his travails … plus photographs, sketches and illustrations, analyses of the art and the writing … and more! Volume 1 contains all three parts of our heroes’ very first adventure, The Secret of the Swordfish. World War III, Olrik, dogged British resistance and phlegm, and a jet plane whose design will forever remain legendary in the comics world! As for Volume 2, it encompasses what are arguably the best episodes: The Mystery of the Great Pyramid, both parts, and The Yellow M. From the sun-drenched Giza Plateau to the fog of London, come along for some of the most spectacular pages of the Ninth Art! Finally, Emilie’s Inheritance reaches its third volume, and some mysteries are beginning to find answers – though new questions and surprises arise in return! Florence Magnin’s art is as gorgeous as ever, and her story weaves classic Irish folklore and science fiction together into a captivating whole that’s not to be missed! March with Cinebook – travelling far and wide! We are happy to announce that the third volume of our Lucky Luke series – Dalton City – is now back in print and waiting only for you to pick it up! Blake & Mortimer Edgar P. Jacobs The Complete Collection 1 At long last, a hardback collected edition of Blake & Mortimer is published in English! A Cinebook exclusive, not even available in French, this Complete Collection will gather two or three books per volume, in the original publishing order, plus another book’s worth of fascinating extra material on the series and the author, as well as sketches and historical notes – unmissable for any true fan! … Read more Blake & Mortimer Edgar P. Jacobs The Complete Collection 2 This second volume collects together what are probably the most emblematic Blake & Mortimer titles: the two-parter Mystery of the Great Pyramid, and above all the incredible Yellow M, an instant classic that propelled its author into the ranks of bande dessinée greats … Read more Emilie’s Inheritance 3 Florence Magnin The Exile As Emilie comes to explore the Irish estate she’s inherited, she’s forced to face a startling truth: there, ghosts, fairies and gateways to other worlds aren’t mere legends, but rather the reality! Then there are the other residents, all of them strange, creepy at times, and who seem to hide a terrible secret … Read more Amazonia 4 Episode 4 Michel Vaillant Legendary Races 3 The Disastrous Season North-American readers, to locate a comic book shop near you that stocks or can order these titles and many more, use this handy Read more   Or, if you're a retailer yourself, please go to: Read more Blake & Mortimer The Complete Collection 1 Blake & Mortimer The Complete Collection 2

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.