Comic Books (2026)
- 2026-02-28: Donjon Zénith - 10. Formule incantatoire
- 2023
- Language: French
- Scénario: Lewis Trondheim, Joann Sfar
- Dessin: Boulet
- NOTES: Alcibiade, Marvin, and Pirzuie (who are busy taking care of their newborn) must find how to save Horous, who is dying trying to control the “coffre aux esprits”, which could not only kill Horous but then free all its spirits into the Dungeon. Since that chest came from Blaise Pilozzi, a magicien-entrepreneur, they first go get his help. He is a not very likable, but very competent, magician. He is also an old friend and old classmate of Pirzuine, and there is some complicity between the two, while Blaise is otherwise a heartless businessman with everybody. Blaise knows that there is an elf poem, located in their central library, which might help solve the issue. So they enter that library. The elves, it turns out, are extremely racist and cruel beings. But the team manages to escape with the scroll of the poem, thanks to Marvin. With the help of Professor Cormor, the undercover automaton, they unlock the solution: the chest, and Horous, must be dropped from a very high place. Marvin jumps into action and his dragon friends do it, and the resulting blast creates the “trou aux esprits”, as well as makes a ghost out of Horous, thanks to a charm by Blaise. In this story, we see again those who care about life and friendship, and those who don’t.
- 2026-02-24: Donjon Crépuscule - 113. Passation
- 2024
- Language: French
- Scénario: Joann Sfar, Lewis Trondheim
- Dessin: Obion
- NOTES: Better than the previous tome. Zakûtu is the main character. An older Herbert appears in the story, but wants to stay out of it. Vaucanson needs rebuilding, and Zakûtu is in charge, having to fend of the Clérembards, a local mafioso, l’Atlas, traitors, and some kind of zombies. Marvin Rouge is mostly useless, except by mistake.
- 2026-02-18: Donjon Crépuscule - 112. Pourfendeurs de démons
- 2021
- Language: French
- tags: #reread
- Scénario: Joann Sfar, Lewis Trondheim
- Dessin: Obion
- Rating: 3/5
- NOTES: The story is a little disappointing compared with the previous arcs.
- 2026-02-18: Donjon Crépuscule - 111. La fin du Donjon
- 2014
- Language: French
- tags: #reread
- Scénario: Joann Sfar
- Dessin: Mazan
- NOTES: I confirm that the last page is nice, but otherwise the story, while it moves fast, is a little difficult to follow.
- 2026-02-17: Namibia - 3. Épisode 3
- 2012
- Language: French
- Scénario: Leo et Rodolphe
- Dessin: Bertrand Marchal
- 2026-02-17: Namibia - 2. Épisode 2
- 2010
- tags: #reread
- Language: French
- Scénario: Leo et Rodolphe
- Dessin: Bertrand Marchal
- 2026-02-17: Namibia - 1. Épisode 1
- 2010
- tags: #reread
- Language: French
- Scénario: Leo et Rodolphe
- Dessin: Bertrand Marchal
- 2026-02-16: Thorgal - 41. Mille yeux
- 2023
- Language: French
- tags: #reread
- Scénario: Yann
- Dessin: Fred Vignaux
- Rating: 3/5
- NOTES: We had left Thorgal, Jolan and Boréale (plus a certain Sven - where does he come out from?) on a small ship. That ship is about to sink, but is able to reach an island. Thorgal manages to swim to the mainland, but is captured in a fairly typical way by an cruel village chief. Thorgal has to find a special stone underground, and then he’ll be freed and able to provide help to Jolan and Boréale. Of course the chief does not keep his word. But Thorgal is eventually able to escape and save Jolan and Boréale. The other main character, Mýsla, who had helped Thorgal, doesn’t make it. Boréale makes it only thanks to Jolan’s asking Odin’s crows. Overall, a fairly standard Thorgal story, ok but not particularly exciting. In short, I mostly agree with the reviews on Bedetheque, but I wouldn’t put this album below Neokóra/Tupilaks, which I consider to be a better story. Here we learn more about Boréale, who was an astrophysicist, specialized in quantum physics, no less. Now, she has to deal with a much less developed world (although not necessarily morally worse overall).
- 2026-02-15: Thorgal - 40. Tupilaks
- 2022
- tags: #reread
- Language: French
- Scénario: Yann
- Dessin: Fred Vignaux
- Rating: 4/5
- NOTES: I had almost no recollection of reading this album, in spite of having taken some notes three years ago! In those notes, I complained a little about the over-explanations of the ship’s history. I am a little less bothered by it now. The new information we are getting from this diptych is that the Atlantians had genocidal plans for Earth, and that some of them agreed with that plan while others didn’t. A malevolent (or malevolently-directed) AI is quite terrifying. So-called advanced societies turn out not to be so advanced, especially morally, when the metal hits the road. I must disagree with the average rating on Bedetheque (2/5), which is quite low, and I would consider it in fact a rather good story. Overall, it’s a decent arc, and a way to get Jolan a life partner.
- 2026-02-14: Thorgal - 39. Neokóra
- 2021
- tags: #reread
- Language: French
- Scénario: Yann
- Dessin: Fred Vignaux
- Rating: 4/5
- 2026-02-12: Sillage - 23. Immersion
- 2024
- Language: French
- tags: #reread
- Scénario: Philippe Buchet
- Dessin et couleur: Philippe Buchet
- 2026-02-10: Sillage - 24. Concessions
- 2024
- Language: French
- Scénario: Philippe Buchet
- Dessin et couleur: Philippe Buchet
- NOTES: Nice atmosphere on a world with Western inspiration. Some discoveries about the metamorphs, but that story goes very slowly. The idea of an alternative, paradisiac underground world is interesting, but the pacing of the story and the explanations is a little clumsy.
- 2026-02-09: Qui est ce Schtroumpf?
- 2023
- Language: French
- tags: #reread
- Author: Tebo
- Rating: 5/5
- 2026-02-09: Donjon monsters, tome 3. La Carte majeure
- 2002
- language: French
- Scénario: Lewis Trondheim, Joann Sfar
- Dessin: Andreas
- NOTES: This fits just after Armaggedon.
- 2026-02-07: [https://www.bedetheque.com/BD-Olivier-Rameau-INT3-Integrale-3-130021.html)
- Olivier Rameau 9. Le canon de la bonne humeur
- 1983
- NOTES: The Poyoutouffus turn out to be spreading a pollen causing bad mood. This is unacceptable for Rêverose. A special cannon ends up being the solution to spread love and good mood. The Poyoutouffus lose their hair and start loving each other and the rest of Rêverose.
- Olivier Rameau 8. La trompette du silence
- 1978
- NOTES: A big trumpet-shaped mountain starts making noises, which stun people. Olivier and the others must find what is going on. They discover that a tiny creature is the origin of the noise, and a sort of concert hall. The introduction is pretty nice, with Olivier and Colombe naked (but with leaves covering them), just enjoying nature and water.
- Olivier Rameau 7. Le miroir à trois faces
- 1977
- NOTES: Rêverose is threatened by Schnarkbuls, sort of empty being that can appear as the doubles of existing beings. They do this by using mirrors, hidden in the forest of Pas-Permis. The root mirror is destroyed, and all is well.
- 2026-01-26: Donjon Parade - 2. Le sage du ghetto
- 2001
- language: French
- Scénario: Lewis Trondheim
- Dessin: Manu Larcenet
- NOTES: Again, like tome 1, the story is really short at 30 pages. A story about segregation (the title gives it away) and extreme cruelty from the dog, the Duc de Clérembard, but also about the immense stupidity of those who accept to be oppressed and ask for more. Humor, of course, going to the ghetto.
- 2026-01-16: Lustiges Taschenbuch Sommer 13: Sommergeschichten
- 2023
- Language: German
- NOTES: Practicing my German reading a little.
- 2026-01-09: Blake et Mortimer - 23. Le bâton de Plutarque
- Language: French
- tags: #reread
- NOTES:
- Previous notes: A prequel to “Le secret de l’Espadon”. Involves Blake and Mortimer meeting again; the two secret bases of Scaw-Fell and Hormuz; Bletchley Park; and an early encounter with Olrik.
- Not a bad story, but one which suffers a little from over-explaining things: where did Blake and Mortimer meet; why are they preparing for WWIII against Basam-Damdu; where does Olrik come from; etc.
- 2026-01-04: Les cités obscures - H11. Souvenirs de l’Éternel Présent
- 1993/2009
- tags: #reread
- Language: French
- Scénario: Benoît Peeters
- Dessin: François Schuiten
- NOTES:
- I had forgotten most of this, last reread in 2020. As I noted them, this is based on the sketches for the movie Taxandria.
- The world is in the spirit of the Cités Obscures. Human activity is absurd (see the tram pullers and pushers). The world is initially unexplained.
- The story:
- A long time ago, Taxandria became prosperous thanks to scientific developments.
- But the rulers, president Brentano and his wife Irina, decided to bring the scientific achievements, but also the Taxandrian system of governance, to other places.
- Their power was, however, unchecked; their hubris, huge; and their decisions, arbitrary and incompetent.
- Irina directs scientists to create a duplicating machine. They succeed, and end up duplicating Irina, but also the sun. A huge tsunami destroys the country, kills most, and that is the end of that society.
- New rulers outlaw science, machines, books, and references to the past or the future. The world becomes, however, absurd, poor, and childless.
- The hero, Aimé, a young, bald boy, is, however, curious, and wants answers about everything. He finds a book, learns about the events, and ends up at Marinum, where he wanted to see the sea.
- The sea, there, is long gone, replaced by a desert. He proceeds further and finally finds the sea, almost drowns, and is rescued by fishermen.
- He says he came from Taxandria and Marinum, but they say there is nothing where he is pointing to. That’s the end of the story.
- The art is great, as usual. The story is less intriguing than other Cités Obscures stories. You’d like to know more about Aimé’s fate, in particular.
