By Edgar P. Jacobs, translated by Jerome Saincantin (Cinebook)
ISBN: 978-1-84918-037-5
Pre-eminent fantasy raconteur Edgar P. Jacobs devised one of the greatest heroic double acts in fiction: pitting his distinguished scientific adventurers Professor Philip Mortimer and Captain Francis Blake against a broad variety of perils and menaces in a sequence of stellar action thrillers which merged science fiction scope, detective mystery suspense and supernatural thrills. The magic was made perfect through his stunning illustrations rendered in the timeless Ligne claire style which had made intrepid boy-reporter Tintin a global sensation.
The Doughty Duo debuted in the very first issue of Le Journal de Tintin (26th September 1946): an ambitious international anthology comic with editions in Belgium, France and Holland. The magazine was edited by Hergé, with his eponymous star ably supplemented by a host of new heroes and features for the rapidly-changing post-war world…
L’affaire du collier – the partnership’s ninth drama-drenched epic escapade – was originally serialised in 1965 and forms the last leg of a trilogy of tales set in France. It was subsequently collected in a single album two years after the conclusion and became Cinebook’s seventh translated treat as The Affair of the Necklace in 2009.
Of more interest perhaps is the fact that it is the only straight crime-caper; shunning the regulation science fictional tropes in favour of a suspenseful mystery and breakneck action thriller…
The story itself draws upon a legendary historical scam which rocked France in the 1780s and has fascinated storytellers ever since: haunting films and television, fascinating authors from Dumas to Maurice Leblanc (Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Thief) to Goethe and even featuring in manga such as The Rose of Versailles.
In 1772 Louis XV asked Parisian jewellers Boehmer and Bassange to create a matchless necklace for his mistress Madame du Barry. The magnificent adornment took so long to complete, the king died and was succeeded by his heir Louis XVI and although the jewellers offered the finished piece – which had not been paid for – to Marie Antoinette numerous times, she refused it – citing the money could be better spent on warships.
Her refusals – probably because she despised Du Barry and didn’t want her cast-offs – laid her open to claims of defrauding the artisans and further tarnished the Queen’s shaky reputation.
When a Bastard-Royal confidence trickster got involved and scammed everybody from the jewellers to the government, the doomed trinket destroyed a Bishop, defanged court magician Cagliostro, scandalised the aristocracy, enraged the public and arguably hastened the fall of the Royal House of Bourbon and sparked the French Revolution.
The necklace itself reputedly ended up in England where it was broken up and its hundreds of individual gems separately sold off…
You don’t need any of that immensely complex background for this jaunt though, which begins with modern France ablaze at the news that the infamous adornment has been found – complete and entire – by British collector Sir Henry Williamson who shockingly plans to give it to the young Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom!
Not-all-that-bothered are Professor Mortimer and Captain Blake, back in Paris to give evidence at the trial of infamous criminal and arch-enemy Colonel Olrik. However, that mission is foiled when the Master of Evil boldly escapes from a sealed prison van en route to court.
Despite quickly deducing the rogue’s methods, the Englishmen are at a loss and cooling their heels when Olrik cheekily challenges them to catch him, but with no clues they instead attend the swank soirée held by Sir Henry where he intends to take possession of the infamous Queen’s Necklace from Frances’ greatest jeweller Duranton-Claret who has been repairing and cleaning the long-lost treasure.
The inveterate thrill-seekers eagerly agree and are lost in the social swirl when the unthinkable happens: a landslip in the notorious catacombs below Paris cause the gem-smith’s high security cellar-vault to collapse into the subterranean maze beneath the City of Lights…
Ever in the thick of action, Mortimer braves the disaster scene and quickly discerns it was explosion not accident which caused the chaos. He even returns with the salvaged jewellery case but the ponderous chain of glittering gems is missing; replaced by a taunting note from Olrik…
After agreeing with top cop Commissioner Pradier to keep the theft quiet, all concerned are astounded to find the morning newspapers full of the crime of the century: Olrik himself has contacted them to boast of it…
Duranton is a nervous wreck: his reputation is destroyed and the phone in his palatial house will not stop ringing with rabid reporters constantly pestering him for a comment. Things take a darker turn when Olrik’s chief heavy Sharkey leads a bold raid to abduct the terrified jeweller. Thankfully Blake and Mortimer are on hand to drive off the attackers and are forced to repeat the feat when the thugs later return with Olrik taking personal charge.
This time the intrepid investigators and Duranton’s valiant butler Vincent are hard-pressed and forced into a last-stand firefight before the police arrive. When those reinforcements counterattack the crooks vanish with disturbing ease and familiarity into the catacombs beneath the house…
As the harassed jeweller’s behaviour becomes more paranoid and erratic, the Englishmen’s suspicions are aroused: if Olrik already has the fabulous treasure, why is he still hounding the Duranton? Thus thanks to a covert wiretap supplied by the ever-efficient Pradier, a sordid story is revealed and an unsuspected connection to Olrik exposed…
Both the jeweller and Olrik know the master criminal only got away with a glass copy of the Queen’s Necklace but as the double-dealing Duranton tries to flee the country, he only avoids the police cordon: wily Olrik and brutal Sharkey are extraordinary criminals, easily snapping up the fugitive and spectacularly beating the cops at their own game – but not before the little gem-smith hides the real necklace in a place only he can access…
The action and suspense spiral as Sharkey is captured. Helpfully leading the authorities into the Byzantine tunnels below Paris he easily gives them the slip, but whilst the police wait for municipal tunnel experts to arrive and take charge of the hunt, Blake and Mortimer strike off on their own. Soon they are hopelessly lost in the terrifying labyrinth…
With their torches failing, the partners in peril at last discover the secret of how the mobsters are able to move so confidently through the uncounted miles of deadly tunnels and track them to their fortress-like lair before reuniting with Pradier’s forces and instigating a blistering showdown…
When the shooting ends our heroes are frustrated to discover that Olrik has escaped and taken the much sought-for necklace with him. Of course, the rogue also has a big surprise in store…
Swift-paced, devilishly devious and gritty, grimly noir-ish, this tale shows the utter versatility of our heroes as they slip seamlessly into a straight cops-&-robbers set-piece, building to an explosive conclusion with a tantalising final flourish, resulting in another superbly stylish blockbuster to delight every adventure addict.
This Cinebook edition also includes excerpts from two other Blake & Mortimer albums plus a short biographical feature and publication chart of Jacobs’ and his successors’ efforts.
Original edition © Editions Blake & Mortimer/Studio Jacobs (Dargaud-Lombard S. A.) 1967, 1991 by E.P. Jacobs. All rights reserved. English translation © 2009 Cinebook Ltd.