Comic Bookshelf: Young Blueberry 2

Though we pick up Young Lt. Blueberry's story in progress, it
does read well as a stand-alone, too.

With DC Comics' All-Star Western starring Jonah Hex facing imminent cancellation and Dynamite Publishing's solid Lone Ranger series having recently ridden off into the sunset, the traditional Western is once again becoming something of a rarity on the new comic book table. This is unfortunate as, while not many Westerns are currently being offered by readily accessible mainstream publishers, my thirst for them remains unquenched.

So like a thirsty fanboy, I have found myself digging through the online back issue bins in search of something along the lines of dusty trails and two-gun action. As fate (and fortuitous availability) would have it, I came across an English translation published by Comcat Comics in 1990 of a French graphic novel first published in 1969. Talk about a roundabout way to get at graphic novel with an Old West setting!

Young Blueberry 2: A Yankee Named Blueberry is written by Jean-Michael Charlier with art by a young Jean (Moebius/Gir) Giraud. The second in a series of English translations, this particular volume collects chapters 4 through 6 of the creative team's original story. While a fan of Moebius' more contemporary science-fiction works (such as the Eisner award-winning Marvel's Silver Surfer: Parable mini from 1988), my only previous engagement with the Lt. Blueberry character is through the mystic-Western film Renegade (2004) starring Vincent Cassel, based on the graphic novels featuring a more world-weary iteration of him.

Written as part of a larger tapestry of stories providing background for the already popular character, I had access to only the single second volume. Because of this, I read Young Blueberry 2: A Yankee Named Blueberry as an isolated adventure without the benefit of previous characterization.

Despite this disadvantage, this collection worked fine as a singular traditional adventure of Rebs and Yankees during the Civil War. Picking up "three days after successfully completing a mission" behind enemy lines, Blueberry, at this point in his military career described as being "primarily a bugler," attempts to rejoin his Yankee squadron. The first two chapters, "Death Ride" and "Man Hunt" tell the story of Blueberry's efforts to return to his squadron as well as his being hunted by an adversary introduced (I assume) in the previous volume. What follows is a tale of mistaken identity and unclear alliances wherein Blueberry finds himself once again thrust into a dangerous mission requiring he play both sides of the war.

The final chapter in the album, "Private Mike S. Blueberry", finds our protagonist still caught between the Rebs and Yankees. Given what has preceded, Blueberry is forced to prove his allegiance to the Blue Coats. (Apparently the mission that set all of this in motion was a mission so secret, no one knew that he was in fact a Blue Coat infiltrating the Confederacy ranks.) While the conclusion of this volume finds Blueberry successfully foiling the Confederacy's plans, he is also in pretty much the same predicament as at the onset: trapped behind enemy lines unable to prove his allegiance to either side.

Blueberry's character, as written by Charlier  is easily discernible without having read what preceded, especially as he is presented as an archetypal soldier, if only slightly more conscientious, attempting to fulfill his patriotic duties while staying alive. Because of this, there is always a level of narrative tension at play that allows our main character to consistently reveal (or reinforce) the traits to the reader. Within the context of a larger story, though, I could see this continuous plot strategy becoming somewhat repetitive.

This is also not the Moebius artwork of which I am familiar. Lacking the graceful clean lines and huge vistas of his later work (including the aforementioned Silver Surfer series), this Moebius is more constrained as the "camera" is pulled in tightly. According to the brief forward, the panels were also originally published in black and white, and were colored and reformatted for this edition, which may impact my reading of the art. There are, however, a few hints of the artist's style as it will eventually develop, particularly in the closing panels which feature a massive train derailment (one panel of which is spoiled on the  back cover).

Based on the level of difficulty that exists with acquiring Moebius books, even reprints such as this, with any degree of affordability, I am unsure when I might have the opportunity to take in any further adventures of Lt. Blueberry. My guess would be that some used bookstores or older local comic shops might have some hiding on their bookshelves. Some public libraries might also have a few in the Graphic Novels section. Should my travels bring me across additional editions, I would definitely continue following the adventures of Lt. Blueberry.

Seen It (Again): The Class (2008)

The second of the five documentaries I offered for my students to view and briefly analyze is The Class (Entre les murs) (2008). Based on the 2006 novel of the same name by François Bégaudeau, this film is a semi-autobiographical "sort-of-documentary" account of a year in the author's life as a middle school French teacher in an urban Parisian school. (When I say "French," think your English class.)

I was struck by how similarly the experiences of students, teachers and parents in French public schools mirror those of individuals in American public schools. The majority of the challenges that François encountered were very reminiscent of my own experiences regarding classroom behavior, parent-teacher conferences and exhausted colleagues.

A unique facet of the film is that there are few black and white "characters." I'd go so far as to suggest that François is, himself, (though a seemingly good-natured soul if not always so toward his students) a fairly poor educator who shows little ability to reflect on his weakness as a facilitator of learning... like I mentioned, this film is very realistic. Interestingly, the film, HIS film, does not paint him as a savior to the urban culture... which in the day and age of superhero teacher fantasy films such as the manipulative Freedom Writers, is in itself refreshing.

A compelling film for anyone interested in our (The US of A) educational system, or those who are interested in seeing that despite being in a distant part of the world how similar the human experience among like nations can be despite perceived differences.

Viewing Suggestion: Avoid the dubbed version like the plague... the dubbed voice performances are terrible. It is well worth training yourself to read and watch to get the full experience.

The Class (Entre les murs) (2008) is available locally for rent through both the Monroe County (NY) Public Library System and Netflix.

July 4th & Monsieur Bouncer

A taste of the vistas from Boucq's Bouncer art.

Happy July Fourth! Given that today is Independence Day, if one needs to even consider the impact of our country on the world around us, they need look no further than the pervasive American aesthetic. Though most are familiar with the idea of "cowboys and Indians"( a game kids in the neighborhood and I used to play but no longer is in vogue), as "American" as the western is, it has been in many ways artistically co-opted by our European friends. Most notable in the "spaghetti Western." (This may change however briefly next December with the release of Quenton Tarantino's Django Unchained.)

About two years ago, when fueled by a new found appreciated for Spaghetti Westerns, I first began reading similarly-themed comics, one of my first stops (after the local comic book shop) was online "store," mycomicshop.com. While I prefer spending my comic book money at locally, I find the online stores to be useful in quickly surveying what books are out there, quickly and without unnecessary expense on less-than-worthwhile purchases.

Though mildly familiar with the French Westerns, primarily though an appreciation for the movie Blueberry (aka Renegade) (2004), I film I reveiwed years ago, which was in turn based on the Franco-Belgian comics western series Blueberry created by the Belgian scriptwriter Jean-Michel Charlier and French comics artist Jean "Mœbius" Giraud.  Unfortunately, copies of that particualr series are very hard to come by, so while trolling the online longbox for other possible related title, I came across the Bouncer series written by  meta-physical Western film maker (and one time potential Dune movie adapter) Alexandro Jodorowsky and drawn by Francois Boucq.

Translated by Justin Kelley, and re-published in the United States by Humanoids Publishing, there are four different Bouncer titles available in hardcover editions, and to date I have added two of the four titles released to my collection: Bouncer: Executioners' Mercy (2003) and  Bouncer: Cain's Eye (2002). Like any good revisionist western, both books deal with themes of guilt, revenge, and loss, all set within gorgeous brown and tan vistas peopled by ugly, violent villains and heroes--black and white dewcritpions whcih do not apply to our illiterate, bastard "hero."

Though missing two "issues," a loss which does create for some missing back story for the protagonist, like Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name, one's ability to enjoy the action is not diminished from the absence (or non-sequential viewing of) the larger story. In fact, given that Bouncer's oft used nom de plume is "the One-Armed Gunslinger" offers about as much insight into the man as one needs to jump into the engagingly surreal West as envisioned by the book's creators.

Perhaps you, like I, will, in addition to spending time with my family, watching my son run in a celebratory road race and chowing on some good ol' fashioned picnic food, spend some time today celebrating our country's "birthday" with a movie and/or graphic novel which offers a (though gritty) romanticized version of the American landcsape and attitude missing from most domestically produced works. For a more in-depth (and knowldegable) look into the European-Western genre (with an emphasis on Bouncer) check out the Daniel Calder's online essay One-Armed Gunslingers and Germans in Teepees: A Brief Guide to the Euro-Western.