Fort Navajo, the first adventure of Lieutenant Blueberry, by Jean-Michel Charlier and Jean Giraud.
When Epic comics translated the Blueberry books, they used Giraud's alias of Moebius, as that name was sure to ring a bell thanks to the man's output in
Heavy Metal. Moebius is however a pseudonym that Giraud used for his fantasy work; Lt. Blueberry was always published under his actual name.
Two things strike us right there on the cover. The first is that it's not painted by Giraud, but by his mentor Joseph Gillain (Jijé), at the time THE authority in western-themed European comics. Giraud's style was close to Jijé in those days, so we don't really notice until we look at the signature. (Jijé had been approached by Charlier to draw the strip, but since he was already busy on his own long-running
Jerry Spring series, he deferred to the young Giraud).
The second one is that initially, the series was not called "Lieutenant Blueberry"... the man was but one character in an ensemble cast, and the series was titled "Fort Navajo". That would last for many years.
The story :We start by introducing young, dashing and impeccably dressed Lieutenant Graig, freshly out of West Point and the son of a general, on his way to his first assignment at Fort Navajo. As his stagecoach stops to change horses in a town near his destination, he encounters one of his future colleagues... the equally young but unruly, unkempt and eternally smug Lieutenant Blueberry, also on his way to be assigned to Fort Navajo. (Blueberry is presented as Mike T. Blueberry, which will be changed to Mike Steve Blueberry later on. Blueberry is not his real name anyway, so maybe he mixes up his given names). Blueberry is a good-natured western hero in the traditional mold: hard drinkin', gamblin', sharp-shootin', brawlin', cussin' and not one to risk his neck over ideals -but nevertheless loyal, brave and honest (when he's not cheating at cards).
The stagecoach later happens upon the smouldering ruins of the Stanton ranch, which has apparently been attacked by Apaches (if the arrows found on the spot are any indication). A dying Mr. Stanton reveals that his young son has been abducted by the Indian raiders, and as he dies Graig swears he will chase them down and rescue the boy. Blueberry and the stagecoach drivers both agree that this is an insane promise, as night will soon fall and the raiders are more numerous and in their own element. But Graig is adamant, partly to impress the young lady who is travelling with them; she's the daughter of the fort's commandant.
After Graig's departure, the lady begs Blueberry to help the brash young man, and he reluctantly agrees.
Sure enough, the next day Graig is easily spotted by the raiders who lead him into an ambush. His horse is shot and that would have been the end of his adventures were it not for Blueberry's arrival. Riding down the length of a narrow canyon while playing his bugle, Blueberry manages to convince the Indians that a whole troupe of soldiers is bearing down on them, and they pull back far enough for him to grab Graig and race back toward the canyon. The Indians aren't fooled for long and resume the chase, and the two men have to send their horse away as a decoy while they escape in another direction.
Hours later, they meet a relief column sent their way from Fort Navajo. At its head is evil Major Bascom (based on a historical character), a fellow who came west to make a name for himself by killing Apaches. We also meet Crowe, a Half-breed soldier who instantly became my favourite character in the series back in the '70s. Bascom wants to chase down the raiders, and when the column meets an Apache tribe in the process of moving from one camp to another, he orders an attack (even if those people look totally innocent of any wrongdoing).
The soldiers obey, but in the middle of the charge Blueberry has an idea to put an end to the massacre; instead of playing the charge on his bugle, he plays the retreat. Graig enthusiastically starts yelling "Retreat, reatreat" in response to the call, and the attack breaks off.
Bascom is naturally besides himself with anger, and Blueberry's explanation that, in the heat of the moment, he just played the wrong call does not save him from being immediately condemned to the firing squad. Graig has to mention the name of his father and to threaten legal action for Bascom to back down.
Finally arriving at the fort, the soldiers meet the commandant who is quite worried about the Stanton ranch massacre but even more so by the attack on a potentially innocent tribe (in which the chief was killed). The situation on the frontier has always been tense, and war could break out easily.
During the night an Apache shoots an arrow at the fort's door; on it is attached a message from Cochise, leader of the Apaches. Cochise wants to know why the soldiers have broken their treaty and slaughtered members of his people. He suggests a meeting to discuss reparations.
The commandant agrees, despite Bascom's suggestion that now is a good time to kill all those %$#&. (The script is decidedly not politically correct!) The major even misunderstands his superior's intentions; he thinks that the parley is but a trap set for Cochise and his war chiefs!
To avoid scaring the Apaches, the commandant has a tent set up outside of the fort's wall, where he and the Apache envoys can discuss in security. Unfortunately, he is bit by a rattlesnake before the Apaches can arrive, and it is Bascom who takes command in his place. Immediately the villain engineers the capture of the Apache emissaries.
During the meeting, Cochise protests that it is not his Apaches who attacked Stanton's ranch, but very likely Chiricahuas who routinely cross the Mexican borders. They used Apache arrows to confuse the soldiers. Bascom refuses the explanation and orders Cochise and the others arrested, in flagrant disregard of the parley's agreed-upon conditions. Cochise manages to escape by slicing through the tent's side, but is wounded as he seizes a horse and gallops off. His comrades are however captured.
That evening, smoke signals can be seen all around, calling the Apache tribes to war. And a rider sent to get help from Santa Fe is sent back, three arrows protruding from his dead back.
The Apache war has begun!
The context :This is a romanticized treatment of the 1861
Bascom affair. Charlier seems to have his First Nations mixed up, though, as Cochise was himself a chief of the Chiricahua Apaches.
General appreciation :This adventure reads like a John Ford western, with the usual clichés of the genre. The Blueberry series would go through a few cinematic phases : John Ford, then Sergio Leone, then more recent stuff like Tombstone. It's good a great pace, engaging characterization, and believable drama. We don't know these people yet, but quickly grow to like many of them and to detest another.
Blueberry bears a strong resemblance to French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo. He would eventually develop a more distinct look. The art is obviously not as spectacular as it would one day become, but is already very competent. It just looks a little too much like Jijé for my taste! (Not that I have anything against Jijé, but I can't wait for Giraud to grow into his own).
The story arc begun here would continue in four more books. There are actually very few stand-alone books in the Blueberry opus... Only two of them!!!
Nice continuity touch: one of the soldiers points the spots from which the smoke signals are rising. One of them is the old dutchman's mine, which will be the scene of a later adventure.