By Lambil & Cauvin
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 978-1-84918-014-6

It is a tricky task to make humour out of warfare, although not impossible as single panel gag cartoons, editorials and Blackadder Goes Forth prove, but the difference with this book is that the the humour is often drawn from the very battles themselves, not the lulls in-between. But I have to say that Cauvin and Lambil achieve it without ever trivialising and, what's more they endeavour to build in a little sense of history along the way. In this case the Union Army's cavalry has been almost wiped out apart from our heroes Sergeant Chesterfield and Corporal Blutch, and their crazed and dangerous captain, and even this state of affairs doesn't last long when Captain Stark is captured by the Confederates. So when a bizarre gift from French soil arrives in the shape of a hot air balloon it is the now redundant cavalrymen that are tasked to man it as it is raised on a tether to spy on the troops. Much of the humour comes from the army getting to grips with this new and bizarre technology (Will they be able to breathe? How do the communicate?) and there are plenty of slapstick moments too, but what's interesting is that because this is war there are darker moments too (although no blood). The climax comes as they set off to fly, untethered, to the rescue of their captain, which, as you'd expect, doesn't go entirely to plan. I'm quite won over by The Bluecoats series, and feel like I'm learning a thing or two as well, and that can't be a bad thing.

By Morris & Goscinny
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 978-1-905460-98-4

This Lucky Luke tale reintroduces Morris and Goscinny's version of Billy the Kid, who, for comic effect, is literally a kid. The plot involves Lucky Luke (and Jolly Jumper) having to take Billy from the penitentiary, where he's currently serving 1247 years, to New Mexico for a trial for another crime. What I constantly enjoy about Lucky Luke is that the books have recurring themes but seldom repeat themselves, but the real treasure to be found within the pages is the humour. There are some corkers in here, made funnier because like so much of Goscinny's writing, they seem so casual and offhand. In one scene builders arrive to construct an attic at a hotel and ask the owner where he'd like it, while in another they arrive at a small town containing just a saloon, a jail and an undertaker, and it's explained how these three businesses work hand in hand together. Later there's a nice visual gag following the hold up of a stagecoach caught in a crossfire that in turn gets surrounded by indians. There are bolder gags too, but it's the subtler ones that are particularly appealing. If you've never read Lucky Luke then there probably isn't a better place to start.

By Roger Leloup
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 978-1-460-56-4

At first glance this looks like a book intended for a female readership, which reminded me of a comic strip art course I attended back when I'd just left school. The teacher wanted to compare girls' comics to boys' comics, so he started off by showing us lots of dynamic movement and action in the boys' comics which was pretty much the staple of my comic reading anyway and no surprises there. Then he showed us the girls' comics which was lots of talking. Standing around and talking. Page after page. To be fair, this wasn't aimed at me, but it all seemed so terribly dull. In order to give the artists some movement to draw the recurring theme was to involve the talking taking place while the girls climbed and descended stairs (but often with one of them remaining at the foot). So it would be fair to say that I approached The Prey And The Ghost expecting much of the same.

And how wrong was I. The book does fall into Cinebook's children's category, but to say it was exclusively for girls just because it has a heroine would be grossly unfair. This particular tale follows Yoko, a Japanese electrical engineer, in Scotland where she ends up at the obligatory Scottish castle only to become entangled with an orphan's struggle with her step-father and the appearance of a ghost. It's got adventure, the supernatural, and plenty of devious goings on, and the character of Yoko is a refreshingly positive one. This is certainly a book that has action as well as a sensitive side, not exactly The Famous Five but not a million-miles away either. I asked my daughter (9) to read it and she loved it, and my son (7) thought it was scary but exciting. The other books in the series look as if they have a similar good mix of what would appeal to both genders so I'll certainly be taking a look.

By Jean Van Hamme & Ted Benoit
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 978-1-905460-63-2

I've already mentioned the (obvious) similarities between Edgar P. Jacobs Blake & Mortimer and Tintin, and nothing wrong with that, in a previous review. At first glance The Francis Blake Affair seems to promise more of the same period adventure until, that is, you notice the front cover. Tucked up in the right-hand corner is a short piece of text, "Based on the characters of Edgar P. Jacobs". But is looks exactly the same, I thought. Surely an error! The book's illustration looks absolutely no different to the previous editions in the series, the setting is still the same post-war era and there's not a clue that this was created by somebody else, until, that is, you turn to the inside back cover. It turns out this book was created in 1996, which is amazing when you consider the amazingly detailed period illustrations of 1950s' Britain, the wonderful crisp dialogue, and the fact that the creators who have captured this quintessential Britishness aren't even British themselves. Now this achievement alone should be enough to warrant a glance through the pages, simply the appreciate the effort that has gone into it, but what makes this a must-read is that the story canters along like a loving blend of boys own adventure and a John Le Carre novel. It's a cleverly crafted tale of espionage, spy networks, subterfuge and danger that borrows from the films and books of the period and yet is able to stand on its own two feet. It really feels as if it's heart is in that classic age of thrilling spy capers. There may be one or two liberties with geography and the time to travel to them, but these are minor quibbles in what is an otherwise superbly crafted book, and certainly one you deserve to take a look at.

And if you liked this: There are many to come!