{"id":6479,"date":"2011-04-15T06:00:19","date_gmt":"2011-04-15T06:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=6479"},"modified":"2011-04-16T13:14:21","modified_gmt":"2011-04-16T13:14:21","slug":"buck-danny-volume-2-the-secrets-of-the-black-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2011\/04\/15\/buck-danny-volume-2-the-secrets-of-the-black-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"Buck Danny volume 2: The Secrets of the Black Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Francis Berg\u00c3\u00a9se<\/strong> & Jacques de Douhet <\/strong>colours by Fr\u00c3\u00a9d\u00c3\u00a9ric Berg\u00c3\u00a9se<\/strong> translated by Jerome Saincantin<\/strong> (Cinebooks)
\nISBN: 987-1-84918-018-4<\/p>\n

Here’s another of the latest translated versions of a favourite continental classic, courtesy of the fine people at Cinebooks; a publishing outfit dedicated to bringing the fabulous wealth and variety of European comics to we infamously resistant English-speaking graphic novel readers.<\/p>\n

Buck Danny<\/strong> premiered in Spirou<\/em><\/strong> in January 1947 and continues soaring across the Wild Blue Yonder to this day. The strip describes the improbably long and historically significant career of the eponymous Navy pilot and his wing-men Sonny Tuckson and Jerry Tumbler. It is one of the world’s last aviation strips and a series which has always closely wedded itself to current affairs such as The Korean War, Bosnia and even Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

The Naval Aviator was created by Georges Troisfontaines whilst he was director of the Belgian publisher World Press Agency. The series was initially depicted by Victor Hubinon before being handed to the multi-talented Jean-Michel Charlier, then working as a junior artist. When Charlier, with fellow creative legends Albert Uderzo and Ren\u00c3\u00a9 Goscinny, formed the \u00c3\u2030difrance Agency<\/strong> to promote the specialised communication benefits of comics strips, he continued to script Buck Danny and did so until his death.<\/p>\n

From then on, his artistic collaborator Francis Berg\u00c3\u00a9se (who had replaced Hubinon in 1978) took complete charge of the adventures of the All-American Air Ace, occasionally working with other creators such as in this captivating political thriller scripted by Jacques de Douhet.<\/p>\n

Like so many artists involved in stories about flight Francis Berg\u00c3\u00a9se (born in 1941) started young with both drawing and flying. He qualified as a pilot whilst still a teenager, enlisted in the French Army and was a reconnaissance flyer by his twenties. At age 23 he began selling strips to L’\u00c3\u2030toile<\/em><\/strong> and JT Jeunes<\/em><\/strong> (1963-1966) after which he produced his first aviation strip Jacques Renne<\/em> <\/strong>for Zorro<\/em><\/strong>. This was soon followed by Amigo, Ajax, Cap 7, Les 3 Cascadeurs, Les 3 A , Michel dans la Course<\/em> and many others.<\/p>\n

Berg\u00c3\u00a9se worked as a jobbing artist on comedies, pastiches and WWII strips until 1983 when he was offered the plum job of illustrating the venerable and globally syndicated Buck Danny<\/strong>. Berg\u00c3\u00a9se even found time in the 1990s to produce some tales for the European interpretation of Great British icon Biggles<\/strong>. He finally retired in 2008, passing on the reins to illustrator Fabrice Lamy and scripter Fred Zumbiehl.<\/p>\n

Like all the Danny tales this second volume is astonishingly authentic: a suspenseful and compelling politically-charged adventure yarn originally published in 1994 as Buck Danny #45: Les secrets de la mer Noire<\/em><\/strong> and coloured by Fr\u00c3\u00a9d\u00c3\u00a9ric Berg\u00c3\u00a9se) <\/strong>which blends mind-boggling detail and technical veracity with good old fashioned blockbuster derring-do.<\/p>\n

It’s 1991 and in the dying days of the Soviet Empire a submarine incident leads the American Chief of Naval Operations to dispatch Buck into the newly open Russia of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Glasnost and Perestroika\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to ascertain the true state and character of the old Cold War Foe. All but ordered to be a spy, Buck is further perturbed by his meeting with ambitious Senator Smight, the US dignitary who is supposed to be his contact and cover-story on the trip to heart of Communism.<\/p>\n

Moreover, Buck is an old target of the KGB and knows that no matter what the official Party Line might be, a lot of Soviet Cold Warriors have long and unforgiving memories\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

No sooner does he make landfall than his greatest fears are realised. Shanghaied to a top secret Russian Naval super-vessel Buck knows he’s living on borrowed time: but his death is apparently only a pleasant diversion for the KGB renegade in charge, whose ultimate plans involve turning back the clock and undoing all the reforms of the Gorbachev administration\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 and the key component to the scheme is a conveniently dead American spy in the wrong place at the right time\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Of course the ever-efficient US Navy swings into action, determined to rescue their pilot, clean up the mess and deny the Reds a political victory but there’s only so much Tumbler and Tuckson can do from the wrong side of the re-drawn Iron Curtain. Luckily Buck has some unsuspected friends amongst the renegades too\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Fast-paced, brimming with tension, packed with spectacular air and sea action and delivered like a top-class James Bond thriller, The Secrets of the Black Sea<\/strong> effortlessly plunges the reader into a delightfully dizzying riot of intrigue, mystery and suspense. This is a superb slice of old-fashioned razzle-dazzle that enthrals from the first page to the last panel and shows just why this brilliant strip has lasted for so long.<\/p>\n

Suitable for older kids and boys of all ages, the Adventures of Buck Danny<\/strong> is one long and enchanting tour of duty no comics fan or armchair adrenaline-junkie can afford to miss. Chocks Away, me hearties\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/em><\/p>\n