1. RAMOR’S CONCH (ISBN 0-918348-30-7)
2. THE TEMPLE OF OBLIVION (ISBN 0-918348-34-X)
3. THE REIGE MASTER (ISBN 0-918348-47-1)
4. THE EGG OF DARKNESS (ISBN 0-918348-56-0)
By Loisel & Le Tendre (NBM)
Like much French art and culture, French language comic material (I’m controversially including Belgium in this half-baked, nigh-racist, sweeping statement) usually seems to be a triumph of style over content. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, simply that sometimes the writing and plotting isn’t as important to the readers as the way it looks on a page, and deep, complex characterisation isn’t often given the same amount of room that scenery, fighting or sex gets. When you combine that with their reading public’s total inability to be shocked by nudity or profanity, it becomes clear why so little of these beautiful rendered strips ever get translated into English. Confidentially, I also think they think that super-heroes are silly!
Beginning in the mid-1980s, there was a concerted effort to bring a selection of European comics to an American audience, with mixed results, and there have been a number of recurring, abortive attempts since. One of the best was the fairly innocuous if splendidly fanciful fantasy Roxanna and the Quest for the Time Bird, which combined sword-and sorcery in the manner of Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal with the sly raciness of the Carry On films.
Ramor’s Conch introduces us to a world of many races, species and magics via the astonishing Roxanna, sent on a mission to recruit Bragon, the Greatest Knight in the World (and quite possibly her father) to capture the legendary Time-Bird and prevent the destruction of the planet at the hands of the mad god imprisoned within the Conch. Bragon, old and crotchety, takes a lot of persuading, even though he loved the Witch-Princess Mara who is Roxanna’s mother and the only thing currently holding back immanent Armageddon.
Of course he does accept the mission, but is unable to prevent the girl from accompanying him. Whether it’s because she may be his daughter or simply because this plain faced girl has the sexiest body on the planet and the mind of a young girl (which here translates as a devastating blend of ingénue maiden and scrubber-in-training), he decides to keep her with him as they set out on their desperate quest, the first part of which is to steal the Conch itself from a city of religious maniacs who haven’t even seen a woman in months. After much derring-do and snide asides they succeed, picking up a relentless foe in the shape of the deadly Bulrog, and a breast-obsessed (Roxanna’s chest is unfeasibly large and inviting), inept young warrior in the process. The first book closes with the trio setting off for their next stage with only eight days remaining until the end of the world and the revenge crazed psychopath Bulrog hot on their heels.
The Temple of Oblivion sees the reunion of Bragon and Mara as he deposits the Conch and takes a party to the aforementioned temple to translate runes that will lead to the Time-Bird itself. With the Bird they can literally stop the clock until Mara can devise a way to re-imprison the mad god Ramor. Their journey pushes them to emotional and physical limits, and a dark edge creeps into tale, as they again succeed but only at the cost of all but Bragon, Roxanna and her young warrior. As they head to their next destination, only seven days remain.
The Reige Master finds them slogging through jungles strikingly similar to French Indo-China, nearing their goal, but being stalked by weird vulture-like beings led by an old warrior who has become an obsessive hunter, dedicated to dealing out death as a spiritual experience. Over the course of four days much is revealed about Bragon, and Bulrog as well as the confirmation that everything is not as it seems with the irresistible and so off-limits Roxanna. Without ever feeling like the creators are just marking time, the volume closes with three days until doomsday, all four travellers uncomfortably united and the path to the Time-Bird open before them.
The Egg of Darkness opens many years after the events of the previous books, with an old man relating the adventures as a bed time story for his grandchildren. The fantastic action is overtaken by a metaphysical detour and explosive revelations about the quest and the participants that provide a spectacular shock ending. As with all great myth tales the heroes triumph and fade but still leave some mystery, as well as wiggle-room for a return, if called for.
Although simplistically plotted, the stylish worldliness of Loisel and Le Tendre both in the sparse and evocative script and the frankly phenomenal illustration, and the sheer inventiveness of the locales and inhabitants of the alien world of Akbar are irresistible lures into a special world of reading magic that more US/UK fans should experience. It’s not Tin Tin, it’s not Asterix, it is foreign and it is good. Go questing for it.
© 1983-1987 by Dargaud Editeur.
English language edition © 1987-1989 NBM.