Graphic Novel Review... Pirates & Slaves!

Barracuda Book 1: Slaves, By Jean Dufaux and Jérémy, Cinebook

A SHIP is attacked by pirates. Its captain, De La Loya, bests Raffy, son of Blackdog the pirate ship’s own captain in a sword fight and is given a boat to sail away in for the sake of the boy’s life, though neither fact pleases Blackdog. Below deck, a boy is being disguised as a girl on the pretext it will prevent him being murdered and instead become a slave like his sister, but by the time Blackdog finds them he becomes more interested in a treasure map that may lead to the Kashar Diamond.

Sailing to the port of Puerto Blanco, they are watched by those who run the island, and we find that those vagabonds aboard the Barracuda aren’t quite the successful pirates we’ve so far been lead to believe, indeed they’re merely just getting by compared to the many variant rogues who live where they are about to dock. In fact, at times the story comes across a seriously intended take on the cartoon film Pirates! Band of Misfits. But there’s menace aplenty too, for the children of Dona Emilia Sanchez are sold into slavery, and the implication of rape and more to suffer; while Raffy appears set to reveal his own childhood psychological scars before too long.

With differing factions at war or uneasy alliance on Puerto Blanco, the fate of the separated youths is explored, deals are set in motion for Blackdog to finance finding the diamond, and the imminent return of a Captain Morkam to those shores is revealed as the book concludes. There’s a lot to take in, extravagant ideas spread over a large cast with a dark prevailing wind even now brewing for worse to come in the next book in the series.

Not what one might call a pleasant read, but one with intrigue regarding its characters; as readers of Cinebook’s Crusade will be aware Dufaux tends to have grand ideas but does not always give them room to develop so let’s hope that’s not the case here. Jérémy, colourist on the wonderful Scorpion saga, also produced in English by Cinebook, proves to be an able artist across 56 pages of what is basically an introduction, and as long as it expands upon characterisation, moves the plot along and makes good on the intrigue established so far, readers should appreciate the results.

For more information on Barracuda visit Cinebook.

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