By Pierre Veys & Carlos Puerta, translated by Mark Bence (Cinebook)
ISBN: 978-1-84918-203-4 (Machine Gunner’s Ball Album PB),
978-1-84918-211-9 (Rain of Blood Album PB),
978-1-84918-252-2 (Dungeons & Dragons Album PB)
With the passage of more than a century and as those involved have all passed on, the Great War has notionally become an historical conflict. That means for many forms of media – especially film and television – it’s become demi-semi-fictional and can be employed as a useful tool to tackle other themes and tropes. It’s something comics have done for years…
There have been some astounding comics stories about the Great War. Pat Mills & Joe Colquhoun’s Charley’s War still tops the list for me – with Tardi’s It Was the War of the Trenches! & Goddamn This War! – holding hard on its heels, but the centennial conflict has generated plenty more thought-provoking sagas for us all to savour.
One particularly beautiful, strangely intriguing fictionalised fantasy – which began in 2012 as Baron rouge: Le Bal des Mitrailleuses – takes a fascinating step into the bizarre with an inspired tale in faux-autobiographic mode, as described by air ace and military man-into-myth Manfred von Richthofen. Scripted with great style and Spartan simplicity by prolific bande dessinée writer Pierre Veys (Achille Talon, Adamson, Baker Street, Boule et Bill/UK, les Chevaliers du Fiel), the drama is stunningly illustrated by advertising artist and veteran comics painter Carlos Puerta (Los Archivos de Hazel Loch, Aeróstatas, Tierra de Nadie, Eustaquio, Les Contes de la Perdition) in a staggeringly potent photo-realistic style.
The action begins with ‘Chivalry’ as the infamous Red Baron pursues his latest target through lush countryside and historical landmarks of the Front. Forcing the British Spad XIII to the fields below, the handsome Hun is just in time to see the light fade from his foe’s eyes forever.
The sight gives him indescribable, ineffable pleasure…
As he returns to the skies, Von Richthofen’s mind drifts back a decade to his time in Berlin’s Military Academy and how his expertise in the gymnasium made him a target of the rich Junker scions who clustered around spoiled, vicious Prince Friedrich. Already despised and disdained, the proud, cocky young man happily embarrassed the Prince and walked into the changing rooms fully expecting a beating…
Then, for the first time, his “power” manifested. Believing himself able to somehow read the minds of his attackers, Manfred viciously trounced them all and provoked a dread in his would-be tormentors that carried him safely to graduation. Talking the strange event over with his pal Willy, Von Richthofen deduced it is the taste of true danger that triggers his gift. He later tests the theory: heading for the worst part of town to provoke the peasants and rabble. However, he never questioned how or why such savage exercise of brutal violence made him feel so indescribably happy…
When the war began, former cavalry officer Manfred had further proof of his talent when he casually acted on a vague impulse and avoided lethal shelling from a threat he could neither see nor anticipate. Soon after, he joined the Fliegertruppen (Imperial German Flying Corps) as gunner in a two-man reconnaissance craft and learned that to the men in the trenches below, one nation’s planes were as dangerous as the other’s… and they all needed to be shot at…
Thanks to a whirling propeller, he also painfully realised he was not beyond harm: a fact that was reiterated when he and pilot Georg were suddenly attacked by a French aircraft and he found himself in his first dogfight over the scenic Belgian landscape…
To be Continued…
Red Baron volume 2: Rain of Blood
The gripping thriller daringly continues in second no-nonsense instalment Baron rouge: Pluie de sang which debuted Continentally in 2013. Here, the illuminating inner ruminations resume their fascinating, faux-autobiographic course as notionally described by the titular flier, in the established, staggeringly potent photo-realistic style.
In the first volume young military student Manfred discovered an uncanny psychic gift: when endangered he could read opponents’ intentions and counteract every attack. Immediate peril seemingly triggered his gift which he subsequently tested by heading for the worst part of town to provoke and pummel the peasants and rabble. Manfred never questioned how or why the savage exercise of brutal violence – especially killing – made him feel so good…
A cavalry officer when the conflict kicked off, he sought and always found further proof of his talent but could never convince his sole confidante, even after transferring to the Imperial German Flying Corps. The saga picks up here as Von Richthofen barely survives his first taste of sky-borne dogfighting and immediately resolves to learn how to properly fly. Never again will he trust his life to someone else’s piloting skills…
Sadly, he is very far from being a natural pilot. Only hard work and persistence allow him to qualify as a flier. Even after his first kill, he cannot stop his privileged, elitist comrades laughing at his pitiful landings…
Things start to change after he modifies his two-man Albatross C.111 so that he can fire in the direction of his flight, rather than just behind or to the sides. Now a self-propelled machine-gun, Von Richthofen returns to the skies and scores a delicious hit on a hapless British pilot. Days later his joy increases when Willy is assigned to his squadron.
Sharing the spoils of occupation life, von Richthofen relates his earliest war exploits as a cavalryman pushing east into Russia. A grisly escapade with a single Uhlan against a company of Cossacks is again greeted with tolerant disbelief, and Willy is only mildly surprised by the callous indifference Manfred displays when recalling how he hanged some monks whilst moving through Belgium to the Western Front. Now, the affronted boaster is determined to prove his powers are real, and opportunity comes when they come across enlisted men indulging in a boxing match.
Lieutenant von Richthofen orders them to let him join in: facing down hulking brute Stoph, German national champion before hostilities started. As Willy watches his slightly-built school chum easily avoid every lethal blow before slowly and methodically taking his opponent apart, he finally believes.
He also begins to feel fear…
To be Concluded…
Red Baron volume 3: Dungeons and Dragons
Launching in 2015, Baron rouge: Donjons et Dragons marches steadfastly to the finish of this fantastic fascinating, faux-tobiography related from the horseman’s mouth, in a beguiling album.
Having followed the peril-packed path to success of a psychotic psychic psycho-killer who found his niche in the Great War by perseverance and practice, and by perfecting his trade tools, found his final fate. Now a self-propelled gun, Von Richthofen mastered the skies…
The story recommences here with Manfred utterly revelling in murderously destructive excesses of his new killing proficiency. His successes bring him and wingman Willy to the attention of national hero and top air ace Oswald Boelcke, who invites him to join his new fighter squadron…
Manfred’s gory glee is only barely dimmed by the discovery that among his new comrades is old school archenemy Prince Friedrich who – complete with new coterie of sycophantic hangers-on – vows vengeance for past indiscretions…
Manfred’s gift for slaughter continues to grow, especially after being assigned a string of increasingly more efficient flying machines. However, after a close call against a calmly methodical British pilot, von Richthofen realises a way to enhance his psychic advantage in the air and paints his ships blazing scarlet to unsettle and terrify airborne opponents…
Less easily handled is Friedrich and his gang. Thanks to his gift, Manfred knows they intend to murder him and takes swift, merciless and pre-emptive action to end their threat. However, even after ruthlessly eliminating his notional comrades, the Red Baron’s problems do not end despite his daring and bravado: prompting a bravura daily performance of sang-froid seeing him triumph over every burgeoning horror and mechanical innovation of the War To End All Wars: tanks, submarines and even naval destroyers…
A net of evidence is closing around Manfred and despite his insouciance, the hunter-killer feels something is coming on the sunny morning he joins the flight to escort a Zeppelin safely home. Of course, his arrogant overconfident cockiness proves to be his ultimate downfall that day…
A sharp and shocking blend of staggering beauty and distressingly visceral violence, The Red Baron is a strange brew of traditional war story and horror yarn mixing epic combat action with enthralling suspense. The concept of the notorious knight of the clouds as psychic psycho-killer is not one many purists will be happy with, but the conceit is executed with superb conviction and the illustration is both potently authentic and gloriously lovely.
A decidedly different combat concoction: one jaded war lovers should definitely dabble with.
Original edition © Zephyr Editions 2012, 2014 by Veys & Puerta. All rights reserved. English translation 2014, 2015 © Cinebook Ltd.
Today in 1942 we lost pioneering cartoonist Billy de Beck, creator of Barney Google and Snuffy Smith. However, one year later Dave Cockrum was born, and look what he went on to do. On a less famous but equally entertaining note, in 1969 James A Owen was born and you can and should assess his classic Starchild: Awakenings.