{"id":28123,"date":"2023-06-08T09:00:40","date_gmt":"2023-06-08T09:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=28123"},"modified":"2023-06-06T17:35:47","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T17:35:47","slug":"darkly-she-goes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2023\/06\/08\/darkly-she-goes\/","title":{"rendered":"Darkly She Goes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBy Hubert<\/strong> & Vincent Malli<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>, coloured by Bruno Tatti<\/strong> & Cl<\/strong>\u00e9mentine Guivarc\u2019h<\/strong>: translated by L Benson<\/strong> (NBM)
\nISBN: 978-1-68112-313-4 (HB) eISBN 978-1-68112-314-1<\/p>\n

Hubert Boulard was born on January 21st<\/sup> 1971 in Saint-Renan, Brittany. Graduating from the \u00c9cole r\u00e9gionale des beaux-arts d\u2019Angers in 1994, he began his far too short comics career as\u00a0 artist for seasoned pros such as \u00c9ric Ormond, Yoann, \u00c9ric Corberyan, Paul Gillon and others. He was also highly regarded as a colourist, and in 2002 became a triple threat by writing for many top artists.<\/p>\n

He began with Legs de l\u2019alchimiste<\/strong><\/em> – limned by Herve Tanquerelle – followed by Yeaux Verts<\/strong><\/em> for long-term collaborator Zanzim and Miss Pas Touche<\/strong><\/em>\/Miss Don\u2019t Touch Me<\/strong><\/em> – rendered by Kerasco\u00ebt and many more. Awards piled up as he steered 14 internationally renowned and celebrated series, including Les Ogres-Dieux<\/strong><\/em> and Monsieur d\u00e9sire?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

An activist by nature, in 2013 Hubert helmed and contributed to groundbreaking collective graphic volume Les Gens normaux, paroles lesbiennes gay bi trans<\/strong><\/em>: released to coincide with France\u2019s national debate on legalizing same sex marriage and a factor in the proposal becoming law\u2026<\/p>\n

His last book was with artist Zanzim: posthumously published in June 2020 soon after his death. Still unavailable in English, Peau d\u2019homme<\/strong><\/em> comedically explores gender and sexuality at the height of Europe\u2019s Europe\u2019s medieval religious intolerance and social stratification.<\/p>\n

Hubert frequently utilised such eras of \u201cblood and iron\u201d as a backdrop, and Darkly She Goes<\/strong> again confronts modern perceptions and standards via an adventure-based scenario readily recognisable to adults and children alike.<\/p>\n

Epic in scope and spectacular in content, the tale is illustrated by Vincent <\/strong>Malli\u00e9: a two volume saga entitled T<\/em><\/strong>\u00e9n\u00e9breuse<\/em><\/strong>. It was published after the author\u2019s passing and is combined here into one monumental tome.<\/p>\n

Born in Paris in 1973, Malli\u00e9 initially studied economics and history before joining an atelier in 1992 to learn about comics and graphic design. Whilst working as a storyboarder in 1996, he created – with schoolmate Jo\u00ebl Parnotte – a short story that grew into the popular Hong Kong Triad<\/strong> series.<\/p>\n

They followed up with sci fi romp Les Aquanautes<\/em><\/strong> before Vincent collaborated with J\u00e9r?me F\u00e9lix on L\u2019Arche<\/em><\/strong> (2003-2007). Later endeavours include Le Grande Mort<\/em><\/strong> with R\u00e9gis Loisel (2007-2019), reviving and enhancing established serial La Qu\u00eate de l\u2019Oiseau du Temps<\/em><\/strong> (with Loisel & Serge le Tendre) and more.<\/p>\n

His staggeringly potent imagery here is augmented by the painterly gifts of Bruno Tatti and latterly Cl\u00e9mentine Guivarc\u2019h, combining to build a painfully authentic feudal world where blood and mud and steel and sinew believably share space with fantastic beasts, sorcery and deviltry of all kinds\u2026<\/p>\n

The story opens as disgraced knight Arzhur<\/em> drunkenly clashes again with former comrades, before being patched up by his inexplicably faithful squire Youenn<\/em>. Despite the warrior\u2019s best efforts to destroy himself, his life is about to change radically as he has been singled out by a trio of cunning witches\u2026<\/p>\n

They have a quest for Arzhur to fulfil: a noble deed that can\u2019t help but expiate his past sins and redeem his reputation – maybe even restore his fortune too. All he must do is save a captive princess from imprisonment in a dark, dank dungeon. Fame, wealth and honour can be his again\u2026<\/p>\n

Sadly, the salvation- and honour-obsessed paladin is being played for a sucker, and after blazing in and butchering a dragon, discovers the fair maiden is very much there of her own free will. In fact, Arzhur has slaughtered Princess Islen<\/em>\u2019s protector, a noble creature keeping her from being seduced and suborned by three mystic hags. They seek to use the captive exile\u2019s inherent power for their own dark designs\u2026<\/p>\n

As the fallen knight escorts his unwilling prize back to her father King Goulvan<\/em>, her story – couched in grief-stricken tones and fiery terms – reveals how Islen\u2019s supernatural mother Meliren<\/em> was once the undisputed Queen of Evil. She raised a simple man to the highest estate in the land but his elevation could not offset her dark nature or schemes. The unholy marriage spawned a child, but their warring natures soon drove them apart and war broke out over custody of the princess. Thanks to a magic sword and Islen herself, Meliren was destroyed, but after her defeat, her mystic forces transferred to her child, manifested as a terrifying Butterfly Crown and ability to control beasts.<\/p>\n

For the safety of all Islen removed herself from the world but the temptation of her legacy meant that ambition and fear gripped all who knew of her\u2026<\/p>\n

When Arzhur brings her home, instead of royal joy and rich rewards, he is cast into a dungeon whilst the King rapidly tries to marry his problem child off – preferably to someone living far, far away. Meanwhile, his second wife – fearing for her own son\u2019s claim to the throne – seeks to convince the populace that the demon child is better off dead\u2026<\/p>\n

Faced with such appalling betrayal, the princess angrily taps into her power and the three witches see their dark design falling into place\u2026<\/p>\n

With the castle under siege by the animal kingdom, Islen liberates Arzhur and they flee, carrying with them the magic sword and invincible armour Meliren gave Goulvan, blissfully unaware of the tragic human cost of their escape\u2026<\/p>\n

With Cl\u00e9mentine Guivarc\u2019h providing colour-art assistance, Part Two begins as the fugitives put as much distance as possible between them and the kingdom, even as the three witches actively seek to push Islen further into anger and depravity. Loathing, passion and duty have already led the princess and fallen knight into a carnal mistake and every close call with pursuers pushes her deeper into the seductive coils of sorcerous forces.<\/p>\n

Their shaky plan is to hide in Arzhur\u2019s rural homeland, but all too soon, the burden of the knight\u2019s original failure and disgrace, plus his sordid past with most of the region\u2019s young women, makes them a target of self-righteous paladins ready to believe the salacious slanders of the whispering witches.<\/p>\n

Their tenuous sanctuary becomes a death trap when Goulvan\u2019s armies invade and the witches possess Islen to complete their decades long plot. Ultimately, the princess must fight for her soul – and perhaps true love – in a sorcerous duel revealing how little anyone can understand – or trust – parents and learn that in life it\u2019s always a case of devils taking the hindmost\u2026<\/p>\n

An epic fantasy and deadly dark fairy tale for adults, Darkly She Goes <\/strong>turns narrative conventions on their heads in a sharp and wry exploration of heroism, honour and self-reliance that is the perfect antidote for anodyne and saccharine bedtime stories.<\/p>\n

T\u00e9n\u00e9breuse<\/em><\/strong> \u00a9 2021-2022 Dupuis – Malli\u00e9\/Hubert. All rights reserved. \u00a9 2014 NBM For the English translation.<\/p>\n

Darkly She Goes <\/strong>will be published on June 14th<\/sup> 2023 and is available for pre-order now.<\/p>\n

Most NBM books are also available in digital formats so for more information and other great reads see http:\/\/www.nbmpub.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Hubert & Vincent Malli\u00e9, coloured by Bruno Tatti & Cl\u00e9mentine Guivarc\u2019h: translated by L Benson (NBM) ISBN: 978-1-68112-313-4 (HB) eISBN 978-1-68112-314-1 Hubert Boulard was born on January 21st 1971 in Saint-Renan, Brittany. Graduating from the \u00c9cole r\u00e9gionale des beaux-arts d\u2019Angers in 1994, he began his far too short comics career as\u00a0 artist for seasoned … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Darkly She Goes”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[214,102,299,122,105],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-european","category-fantasy","category-feminism-sexual-politics","category-historical","category-mature-reading"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-7jB","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28123"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28126,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28123\/revisions\/28126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}