#ArtOfTheDay: 'Conquests: The Horde of the Living' by François Miville-Deschênes

'Conquests: The Horde of the Living' by François Miville-Deschênes.

Variant cover art of the bandes dessinées / graphic novel 'Conquests: The Horde of the Living', published May 2011 by Le Lombard. 

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Conquests: Scythian Blood' by François Miville-Deschênes

'Conquests: Scythian Blood' by François Miville-Deschênes.

Cover art of the bandes dessinées / graphic novel 'Conquests: Scythian Blood', published August 2016.

Graphic Novel Review: 'Millennium' by Richard D Nolane & François Miville-Deschênes

'Millennium', is a five part series written by Richard D Nolane and illustrated by François Miville-Deschênes, that follows Raedwald the Saxon and Arnulf, collectors and sellers of Holy relics, as they travel across Europe investigating reports of demonic creatures, strange lights in the sky, as well as a sinister conspiracy that threatens the Continent’s entire political and religious structure.

Billed as 'The Name Of The Rose' meets 'The X-Files', 'Millennium' was a really enjoyable read. A medieval mystery series with some very fantastical twists and turns throughout.

Set in the year 997, the series begins with the brutal ambush of a Royal carriage convoy, where all were killed except for one horrifically maimed survivor. Our heroes, Raedwald and Arnulf, happen to discover on the massacre, but when they later run into the King's men who decline to answer Raedwald's questions about the convoy, and demand that the survivor is taken to a specific hospice, this sparks an interest in Raedwald that there may be more to the ambush than at first it seems.

Although part of a series, each volume also feels like a standalone episode, with Raedwald and Arnulf off on adventures around Europe, using their brains and brawn respectively, to investigate mysteries that have elements of the fantastic, from holy relics to aliens, as well as meeting some quite memorable characters along the way too. But as they investigate these seemingly individual mysteries, they end up uncovering more pieces of the puzzle in the greater conspiracy. It's a series that is definitely more of a slow burn, than one that is action-packed, but I liked that about this series. Sometimes a slower pace is needed, as the clues are uncovered and more layers of the conspiracy are dicovered, the whole picture begins to slowly reveal itself amd it draws you in deeper, just like any great detective series.

 

'Millennium' is an engrossing read set in the medieval past with a fantastical conspiracy woven throughout each volume, with artwork by the always fantastic Miville-Deschênes!

 

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Graphic Novel Review: 'Zaroff' by Sylvain Runberg & François Miville-Deschênes

'Zaroff', written by Sylvain Runberg and illustrated by François Miville-Deschênes, is billed as an unofficial sequel to Richard Connell's 1924 short story, 'The Most Dangerous Game', (which was later adapted into the 1932 RKO Pictures film of the same name, starring Joel McCrea and Leslie Banks), that features a big-game hunter from New York City who falls off a yacht and swims to what seems to be an abandoned and isolated island in the Caribbean, where he is hunted by a Russian aristocrat.

 

Although it follows on from the original, 'Zaroff' is still a standalone story, so like myself, there is no need to have any knowledge of the original material.

 

The story picks up 8 years later with Sanger Rainsford, the big game hunter from the original story, having survived his encounter with Zaroff, and now in New York addressing the media of his experience. The media is generally unbelieving of his tale, except for a mysterious woman listening with intent in the gathered crowd.

 

General Zaroff, having escaped the original island, now lives on a remote island off the coast of Venezuela. A new hunting ground where he can continue his deranged hobby of hunting people that become stranded on his island. But ever the sportsman, he does give his quarry a 'sporting' chance, however, by equipping them with weaponary and if they can escape his clutches for three days, they are free to leave. But when one of the General's victims is a Boston mob boss, his daughter and a group of mobster heavies arrive on the island looking for revenge. But there is more at stake than just the General's life.

 

This was a thrilling read. Runberg has crafted an exciting story that turns the evil villain of the original story into the protagonist. He's still a cold and calculating character, but with the tables turned, you kind of root for him to pull through the hunt. It is helped with the way Fiona Flanagan and the mobsters are portrayed in the story, who are definitely playing up to their antagonistic roles. 

The story starts off strong, hinting at what had gone before and laying the seeds for what's to come, with some good exposition. There isn't much plot to it, as when you boil it down, 'Zaroff' is just a cat-and-mouse chase / hunter-becoming-hunted story, but it's written in such a way that even with the lack of substance, you are still engrossed in the story and the pace of the storytelling is just unwavering, as you get swept up into the chase, and never really runs out of steam as you turn the last page!

 

The artwork by Miville-Deschênes is simply stunning. As always! As such, it suited the story very well and was easy to get absorbed in the life-like details in the comic panels that bring out the vividness, and lushness of the jungle, as well as the brutal and horrific. It's got to the point that any graphic novel with artwork by François Miville-Deschênes is to savoured!

'Zaroff' is a thrilling read with beautifully rendered artwork, that once the chase begins, is unrelenting and full of suspense, tension and horror! A must read!

Available at:

and other comic and book stores.

 

Graphic Novel Review: 'Conquests' by Sylvain Runberg & François Miville-Deschênes

'Conquests', written by Sylvain Runberg with art by François Miville-Deschênes, is a bandes dessinées (comic), originally published in French as 'Reconquêtes' by Le Lombard in 2011, that follows three three powerful nomadic tribes: the Callipides, the Cimmerians and the Sarmatians, having forged a sacred Scythian alliance, and find themselves on the brink of a new war, against the Hittites.

The four part series begins with the fall of Urar, a city famed for its gold mines, and marks the first in a series of savage clashes between the Hittites and the Scythians. This act of war causes the allied rulers of Scythia; Marak, Kymris and Simmissee, to reinstate the most fearsome army in the known world, 'The Horde Of The Living'.

We're also introduced to Thusia, a mysterious royal scribe from the kingdom of Babylon, sent to record the future triumph of the Scythian alliance over the Hittite armies for their great library. But in order to do so, she must win their trust, but what are her true motives?

This is a really fascinating rendering of historical fiction and myths. Runberg and Miville-Deschênes, take their time to reveal the world; introducing each of the tribes, their rulers and customs, the politics plus the savagery and brutality of war throughout the pages. It makes for a good read, a simple story, that still has its twists and turns, that slowly draws you into the world, without the feel of being rushed by the plot.

The artwork is simply amazing, and is one of the most gorgeous looking comics I've read. Everything from the humans, the beasts, the landscape, and the ferocious and bloody battles, all are beautifully captured by Miville-Deschênes' artwork in a realistic style. It's worth picking this up just for the artwork alone!! However if you're offended by lots of nudity, violence and gore, this may not be the book for you.

Although if you're a fan of 'A Song Of Ice And Fire / Game Of Thrones' and other series of its like, then this series could well be the thing for you - historical fiction with a dose of the fantastical, a mix of politics, manipulation, royalty, action, war, Amazons and Atlanteans, all accompanied with some of the most gorgeous comic art. Definitely a recommended read.

Available at:

and other comic and book stores.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Conquests: The Horde of the Living' by François Miville-Deschênes

'Conquests: The Horde of the Living' by François Miville-Deschênes.

Limited edition French wraparound variant cover of the bandes dessinées / graphic novel 'Conquests: The Horde of the Living, published May 2011 by Le Lombard.