Western
Western, by Jean Van Hamme & Grzegorz Rosinski, Cinebook
THE TITLE tells you everything you need to know about deciding whether or not you want to read this book: when and where it’s set and its genre. The names credited on the book being those of internationally celebrated creators whose Thorgal Viking adventures are among one of Cinebook’s regular popular series literally guaranteeing that it should be worth at least a single reading.
These self-assurances given to us, the book opens coolly, adding dramatic tension but it has to be said predictably – Western aficionados of Clint Eastwood, John Wayne and indeed Audie Murphy movies, alongside those vigorous readers of its still popular literary output could tell you when and where such traditions of the genre first appeared (my late grandfather is probably tutting at me up in Heaven right now for having enjoyed leafing through his Churchill’s History of the English Speaking Peoples magazines before I’d even started school, but never once picking up one of the western novels that would be perched on his armchair).
It begins with a man coming to Wyoming. His brother’s family had apparently been murdered by native Indians, but one of the children may have survived and been brought up a slave by him. Somebody claims to have found him, and a reward is offered. But both parties double cross each other and the results are good for neither party. A young kid escapes, fleetingly sees the man’s own daughter and times shift several years.
We know where this is going; the kid will grow up and his path will cross once more with the girl, then they’ll either fall in love and get hitched or fate will have them discover in a platonic manner that they’re related and share a happy old age on a ranch, with the story coming full circle.
Close but no cigar.
Rosinski’s art fits neatly into the visual scenarios required, contrasting one historical time for another with enough research to make it convincing but, as ever, ensuring he fits nature’s landscape into his work as a quiet background character that reinforces the emotional quality of the piece.
The great Van Hamme, however, feels out of sorts. In the opening pages some of the dialogue doesn’t feel quite right, whether the translation, the nuances of period genre’s language, or just my interpretation. Then one notices the narrative is carried in the form of first person caption boxes, an unusual stylistic approach for Van Hamme; and that, at times, we’re not even sure whose inner voice it is, or even if the person narrating changes. This may be why some of the initial speeches didn’t quite feel right to me, something I’ll verify on a second reading.
As it is, this narrative is what helps lead us astray from our preconceptions as darkness begins to enshroud an already sombre story (sure there are gunfights for those who want that visual horseplay, but the book’s not called Cowboy, so such events have more resounding purpose); in some respects I’m reminded of classic ghost stories the way this pieces together, but in the end it’s more a tragedy.
Personally, I felt the book could have concluded without its two page epilogue; that makes it too neat, and a little O. Henry-like for my tastes, for in the pages before we know enough is enough and the end is due.
Chilling characters that look so calm on the page, rarely revealing their feelings and letting our own imaginations wander. Not the best book by the creators but certainly worth reading to prove that neither one sits on their laurels and is still prepared to challenge and experiments with the comics medium in interesting ways.
Cinebook has set up this Expresso imprint to feature stand-alone graphic novels, as opposed to its various series. My aging memory tells me that during the latter part of its experimental publishing days a couple of decades back, Fleetway tried publishing European graphic novels under a similar imprint, possibly Espresso, and I’ve a couple somewhere up in the loft, but such things were too foreign (or totally alien) to a British buying public and it didn’t last more than a few months. We’ve grown accustomed to collecting such books since that time, resoundingly so concerning the European variety thanks to Cinebook.
For more about Western visit: www.cinebook.com
Sponsored by Target Media.
