{"id":33414,"date":"2025-07-25T08:00:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T08:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=33414"},"modified":"2025-07-24T16:53:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T16:53:00","slug":"yoko-tsuno-volume-19-the-astrologist-of-bruges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/07\/25\/yoko-tsuno-volume-19-the-astrologist-of-bruges\/","title":{"rendered":"Yoko Tsuno volume 19: The Astrologist of Bruges"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBy Roger Leloup<\/strong>, coloured by Beatrice<\/strong> of Studio Leonardo<\/strong> & translated by Jerome Saincantin<\/strong> (Cinebook)
\nISBN: 978-1-80044-130-9 (Album PB)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times.<\/em><\/p>\n

On September 24th<\/sup> 1970, \u201celectronics engineer\u201d Yoko Tsuno<\/strong> began her troubleshooting career as an indomitable intellectual adventurer. Her debut in Le Journal de Spirou<\/em><\/strong> was realised in \u201cMarcinelle style\u201d cartoonish 8 page short \u2018Hold-up en hi-fi\u2019<\/em> but although she is still delighting readers and making new fans to this day, her action-packed, astonishing, astoundingly accessible exploits quickly evolved into a highpoint of pseudo-realistic fantasies numbering amongst the most intoxicating, absorbing and broad-ranging comics thrillers ever created. Her globe-girdling mystery cases and space-&-time-spanning epics are the brainchild of Belgian maestro Roger Leloup who launched his own solo career in 1953 after working as studio assistant\/technical artist on Herg\u00e9\u2019s Adventures of Tintin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Compellingly told, sublimely imaginative and – no matter how implausible the premise of an individual yarn – always firmly grounded in hyper-authentic settings underpinned by solidly-constructed, unshakably believable technology and unswerving scientific principles, Leloup\u2019s illustrated escapades were at the vanguard of a wave of strips revolutionising European comics. Very early in the process, he switched from loose illustration to a mesmerising nigh-photo realistic style that is a series signature. That long-overdue sea-change in gender roles and stereotyping heralded a torrent of clever, competent, brave and formidable women protagonists taking their rightful places as heroic ideals and not romantic lures, consequently elevating Continental comics in the process. Such endeavours are as engaging and empowering now as they ever were, none more so than the travails of Miss Tsuno.<\/p>\n

Her first outings (the aforementioned, STILL unavailable Hold-up en hi-fi<\/em><\/strong>, and co-sequels La belle et la b\u00eate<\/strong><\/em> and Cap 351<\/em><\/strong>) were mere introductory vignettes prior to epic authenticity taking a firm grip in 1971 when the unflappable problem solver met valiant but lesser (male) pals Pol Paris<\/em> and Vic Van Steen<\/em>. Instantly hitting her stride in premier full-length saga Le trio de l\u2019\u00e9trange<\/em><\/strong> (in LJdS<\/em><\/strong>\u2019s May 13th<\/sup> edition), from then on, Yoko\u2019s efforts encompassed explosive exploits in exotic corners of our world, sinister deep-space sagas and even time-travelling jaunts. There are 31 European bande dessin\u00e9e albums to date, with 19 translated into English thus far, albeit – and ironically – none of them available in digital formats\u2026<\/p>\n

Initially serialised in LJdS<\/em><\/strong> #2923 to 2943 and spanning April 20th<\/sup> to September 7th<\/sup> 1994, L\u2019astrologue de Bruges<\/em><\/strong> became the 20th<\/sup> collected Yoko Tsuno<\/strong> album that same year. Following chronologically on from The<\/strong> Rhine Gold<\/strong>, it weaves a tale of Earth-bound archaic mystery as our tireless troubleshooter visits a living historical treasure trove for answers to a contemporary conundrum…<\/p>\n

Walking the scenic canals of Bruges – \u201cthe Venice of the North\u201d – Yoko strikes up a fortuitous conversation with a painter who is actually a very open-minded archaeologist and imaginative historian. Tsuno is there to meet another artist; one who has painted her portrait in local period dress. She thinks it\u2019s from magazine photos of her, but Mr. Jos<\/em> knows much of the confounding Jan Van Laet<\/em> who has contacted Yoko, and none of what he knows is good…<\/p>\n

Jos shows her the quiet passages and waterways of a renaissance city barely altered since the 16th<\/sup> century and offers to stay close during her interview with Van Laet: a man he seriously considers to be in league with the Devil…<\/p>\n

Soon after her interview with the extremely off-kilter portraitist begins, Tsuno begins to agree with that assessment as Van Laet seeks to convince her that he captured her image from life, not photos, and that she had posed for him in 1545 Anno Domini. Her doubts take a hard knock when he also reveals ancient pictures and sketches of her with her friend Monya<\/em> and foster daughter Morning Dew<\/em>.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when Van Laet\u2019s patron and master the Marquis of Torcello<\/em> joins the interview, claiming Yoko has lived since those Renaissance days afflicted by amnesia. Incensed and threatening, he also accuses her of holding his property: a vial containing an elixir of youth and another carrying the secret of a deadly biological super-weapon bottled by legendary, infamous natural philosopher, astrologer and alchemist Zacharius.<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Escaping by hurling herself out of a window to be plucked from a canal by Mr. Jos, Yoko is pretty sure she knows the How if not Why of this situation. After all, Monya is a cherished comrade who was born in the far future and possesses a working time machine…<\/p>\n

Resolved to learn everything and foil Torcello & Van Laet\u2019s scheme to reintroduce the Black Death to the modern world, Yoko recruits steadfast comrades Pol & Vic to join her, Monya and Dew in an era of pestilence, intrigue, Inquisitions and ongoing Wars of Religion. She has no choice over the child… the painting already incontrovertibly proves Dew was present and in just as much danger as everyone else…<\/p>\n

Mr Jos is vital in the planning and reconnaissance stages of the proposed mission. He now owns the fantastic house occupied by the undying villain in 16th<\/sup> century and allows Yoko access to all its many levels of subterranean cellars and workshops, and provides access to clothing of the era. Monya delivers everything else needed and during a terrific storm the party nervously head back to a time of terror and travail…<\/p>\n

Befriending poverty-stricken flower seller Mieke<\/em> on arrival, the time travellers are soon embroiled in an ongoing and escalating calamity involving Zacharius\u2019 deranged-but-brilliant apprentice Balthazar<\/em>, a scheme stripping churches of gold and portraitist Van Laet\u2019s insidious human trafficking business selling his poor but honest models to the rich men who purchase his paintings. The true threat though is always Torcello who wants to spread doom and destruction in every era and gets his big chance after capturing Monya and stealing her Time Shifter…<\/p>\n

The monster\u2019s fate is someone else\u2019s boon, however, as the doomed brief encounter of flirtatious Pol and meek Mieke suddenly grows into something much greater and happier ever after…<\/p>\n

As ever, the most assured assets of these edgy endeavours are astonishingly authentic settings, benefitting from Leloup\u2019s diligent research and meticulous attention to detail. A magnificently complex twisty thriller with doomsday overtones, displaying our valiant troubleshooter and her team triumphant in a taut, tense thriller of time bending terror, The Astrologist of Bruges <\/strong>is tense, moody, slow-burning, deviously twisted and potently plausible: a fable confirming how smarts and combat savvy are pointless without compassion, integrity and a sense of moral responsibility.
\nOriginal edition \u00a9 Dupuis, 1994 by Roger Leloup. All rights reserved. English translation 2024 \u00a9 Cinebook Ltd.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Roger Leloup, coloured by Beatrice of Studio Leonardo & translated by Jerome Saincantin (Cinebook) ISBN: 978-1-80044-130-9 (Album PB) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times. On September 24th 1970, \u201celectronics engineer\u201d Yoko Tsuno began her troubleshooting career as an indomitable intellectual adventurer. Her debut in Le Journal de Spirou was realised … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Yoko Tsuno volume 19: The Astrologist of Bruges”<\/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":[191,75,239,63,225,148,107,169,229],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-crime-comics","category-drama","category-european-classics","category-mystery","category-romance","category-science-fiction","category-spy-stories","category-yoko-tsuno"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-8GW","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33414","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=33414"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33416,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33414\/revisions\/33416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}