Post by shaxper on Aug 3, 2022 3:21:38 GMT -5
Almost eight months ago, Roquefort Raider slipped me an advance copy of his newest installment in the Le Bras d'Orion saga (if you missed discussions of the previous volumes, you can find them here and here). Unfortunately, I'm both utterly obsessed with this series and was having the busiest year ever. I wanted to make time to go back to the beginning and read the entire thing in one marathon, but the time just never seemed to appear for me to do so. So now, all these ages later, I finally had the time. I spent the past day immersing myself in this universe and its characters once again, and wow...it just keeps getting better.
On an artistic level, I never expected RR to outdo the brilliant space vistas he created in that first volume, but now he applies that passion for intricate detail to countrysides and cityscapes, and boy has his inking matured to compliment it all:
Additionally, he continues to experiment with dynamic panel and page arrangements:
but, most importantly, as this third volume is set on the capital of a vast galactic empire, RR devotes so much passion to different styles of clothing, architecture, and decor. It's all so thoroughly considered, far moreso than you'll see in most science fiction epics:
and he applies that same concept to the very races, cultures, and individual characters depicted in both primary and secondary focus. So many fascinating stories parade in the backgrounds, even as ancillary characters are introduced that RR could easily write entire books about, even if they only appear for a panel or two:
The whole thing is just bursting with ideas, characters, and stories, only the smallest fraction of which we actually get to experience. it's a hell of a tease!
But along with this expansion of ideas comes a whole new level of complexity to the central plot driving this whole thing. The first volume set up a simple revenge plot with a likeable, devil-may-care protagonist with a tragic backstory and heart of gold that absolutely would have been enough to hook me. The second volume jumped right out of that comfort zone and chose to focus largely on new characters who seemed ancillary to the plot. It was a gamble that hadn't fully paid off by the conclusion of volume 2. But here it all comes together. RR is telling a MUCH larger story now, with many protagonists and many perspectives, all upset by the emergence of Rah and his plan for vengeance. Rah, himself, grows more complex with this volume, seeing past the simplicity of his original vision and coming to significant greater realizations:
It may be easier to tell a simple revenge tale with guns blazing, but RR challenges himself to tell a more honest and mature story that isn't afraid to have characters sit down and talk through things instead of fighting much of the time. It mostly works.
This was absolutely the most rivetting volume yet. I couldn't pause at any point in those 86 pages, even for a bathroom break. I had to keep going for just another page...and then another. The fact is, however huge a fan I was of this series before, I'm about three times more passionate about it now. I have no idea how the hell RR is going to end this thing in one final volume. I truly hope he'll decide that he can't!
Anyway, if you're not reading this thing, you are missing out on a true classic. Is it perfect? No. But, at it's best (which is most of the time) it is far bigger in plot, vision, characters, and visual storytelling than pretty much anything I've experienced in sci-fi before (maybe even including Moebius). REALLY, it's time to give this thing a read. You can purchase your own copy (print copy is French, digital copy is available in English) here. I promise you will not regret it!
And yes, I absolutely realize how poor my timing is in posting this, The Crimebusters #4 having just arrived in the mail yesterday. I'll get to reading that one next. MAN I work with some crazy talented people!
On an artistic level, I never expected RR to outdo the brilliant space vistas he created in that first volume, but now he applies that passion for intricate detail to countrysides and cityscapes, and boy has his inking matured to compliment it all:
Additionally, he continues to experiment with dynamic panel and page arrangements:
but, most importantly, as this third volume is set on the capital of a vast galactic empire, RR devotes so much passion to different styles of clothing, architecture, and decor. It's all so thoroughly considered, far moreso than you'll see in most science fiction epics:
and he applies that same concept to the very races, cultures, and individual characters depicted in both primary and secondary focus. So many fascinating stories parade in the backgrounds, even as ancillary characters are introduced that RR could easily write entire books about, even if they only appear for a panel or two:
The whole thing is just bursting with ideas, characters, and stories, only the smallest fraction of which we actually get to experience. it's a hell of a tease!
But along with this expansion of ideas comes a whole new level of complexity to the central plot driving this whole thing. The first volume set up a simple revenge plot with a likeable, devil-may-care protagonist with a tragic backstory and heart of gold that absolutely would have been enough to hook me. The second volume jumped right out of that comfort zone and chose to focus largely on new characters who seemed ancillary to the plot. It was a gamble that hadn't fully paid off by the conclusion of volume 2. But here it all comes together. RR is telling a MUCH larger story now, with many protagonists and many perspectives, all upset by the emergence of Rah and his plan for vengeance. Rah, himself, grows more complex with this volume, seeing past the simplicity of his original vision and coming to significant greater realizations:
It may be easier to tell a simple revenge tale with guns blazing, but RR challenges himself to tell a more honest and mature story that isn't afraid to have characters sit down and talk through things instead of fighting much of the time. It mostly works.
This was absolutely the most rivetting volume yet. I couldn't pause at any point in those 86 pages, even for a bathroom break. I had to keep going for just another page...and then another. The fact is, however huge a fan I was of this series before, I'm about three times more passionate about it now. I have no idea how the hell RR is going to end this thing in one final volume. I truly hope he'll decide that he can't!
Anyway, if you're not reading this thing, you are missing out on a true classic. Is it perfect? No. But, at it's best (which is most of the time) it is far bigger in plot, vision, characters, and visual storytelling than pretty much anything I've experienced in sci-fi before (maybe even including Moebius). REALLY, it's time to give this thing a read. You can purchase your own copy (print copy is French, digital copy is available in English) here. I promise you will not regret it!
And yes, I absolutely realize how poor my timing is in posting this, The Crimebusters #4 having just arrived in the mail yesterday. I'll get to reading that one next. MAN I work with some crazy talented people!
