Trent volume 1: The Dead Man


By Rodolphe & Léo with colour by Marie-Paul Alluard, translated by Jerome Saincantin (Cinebook)
ISBN: 978-1-84918-361-1

European comics audiences have long been fascinated with American experience, whether it be the Wild West or more modern, crime-riddled, gangster-fuelled themes. They also have a vested historical interest in the northernmost parts of the New World and that has resulted in some pretty cool graphic extravaganzas too.

Léo is actually Brazilian artist and storymaker Luiz Eduardo de Oliveira Filho, who was born in Rio de Janeiro on December 13th 1944. After attain a degree in mechanical engineering from Puerto Alegre in 1968 he was employed by the government for three years until forced to flee the country because of his political views. While the military dictatorship ran Brazil, he lived in Chile and Argentina before illegally returning to his homeland in 1974.

To survive de Oliveira Filho worked as a designer and graphic artist in Sao Paulo and created his first comics art for O Bicho magazine.

In 1981 he migrated to Paris, seeking to pursue a career in Bande Dessinée, and found some work with Pilote and L’Echo des Savanes as well as more advertising and graphics fare. The big came when Jean-Claude Forest invited him to draw stories for Okapi which led to regular illustration work for Bayard Presse. In 1988 Léo began his long association with scripter and scenarist Rodolphe D. Jacquette AKA Rodolphe.

His celebrated writing partner has been a prolific figure in comics since the 1970s: a Literature graduate who made the transition from teaching and running libraries to poetry, criticism, novels, biographies, children’s stories and music journalism. In 1975 after meeting Jacques Lob, he expanded his portfolio to write for a vast number of artists and strip illustrators in magazines ranging from Pilote and Circus to À Suivre and Métal Hurlant.

Amongst his most successful endeavours are Raffini (with Ferrandez) and L’Autre Monde (Florence Magnin) but his collaborations in all genres and age ranges are too many to count here.

In 1991 he began working with Léo on a period adventure series of the far north. Taciturn, introspective and fiercely driven Mountie sergeant Philip Trent premiered in L’Homme Mort and forged a lonely path through 19th century Canada over eight tempestuous, hard-bitten albums released between then and 2000. He also led to the creators’ better-known fantasy classics Kenya (and its spin-offs), Centaurus and Porte de Brazenac.

Very much in the tone of classic adventure yarns as crafted by the likes of Jack London or John Buchan, Trent is a true man of mystery and unyielding principles who debuts here on a determined trek across frozen wastes with his faithful companion “Dog”. He is hunting a man and will not be deterred…

Huddled to survive another treacherous icy night, he is shocked from the same old reverie of an idyllic farm childhood and a woman who abandoned him by the sound of gunfire. Responding rapidly, man and hound rescue lone traveller Agnes St. Yves from a pack of wolves. The improbability of her current predicament is only outweighed by her insane intentions: the frail woman is hunting for her lost brother through the most dangerous terrain imaginable at the height of winter.

Never the most stable or steadfast of men, André had come north in search of gold. His last letter spoke of success but when no more communications were forthcoming her parents hired detectives to track him down. They reported that the boy had vanished but Agnes refused to accept their failure as final…

Against his better judgement Trent is swayed into accompanying her on her search. As the brutal expedition continues the cheery, affable Agnes increasingly seeps under his skin and into his consciousness until visions of her and memories of his long-gone wife become distressingly comingled…

After they connect with a native tribe Trent is friendly with, more information is uncovered and the Mountie realises with horror that the beloved sibling Agnes seeks to save and the ruthless killer he is stalking might well be the same man…

However, in the wilds beyond civilisation things are seldom as they seem and as Trent and Agnes struggle onwards to a desolate outpost and the cursed mine André owns, a fantastic scheme of theft and murder gradually unfolds. All too soon the solitary peacekeeper is overwhelmed by dire revelations and cunning malefactors and looks certain to perish before either of his missions is completed…

A dark, brooding mystery voyage where the environment and locales are as much a leading character as the hero and his hidden enemy, The Dead Man offers thrills, action, warm humour and poignant evocation in a compelling confection that will appeal to any fan of widescreen cinematic crime fiction or epic western drama.
Original edition © Dargaud Editeur Paris 1991 by Rodolphe & Léo. English translation © 2016 Cinebook Ltd.