Previewing Cinebook’s October Titles: The World Of Jean Van Hamme Awaits
by Richard Bruton
Another month, another trio of quality Euro comic albums to come from Cinebook, who’ve been publishing English language versions of a massive range of Franco-Belgian Ninth Art since 2005, bringing the huge range and variety of Euro comics to the West.
This month, the unifying theme here is Jean Van Hamme, one of the legendary writers in modern Euro comics, and the man responsible for one of my particular favourites, the absolute thriller with a financial twist, Largo Winch.
Van Hamme’s writing may only feature on one title here, the Largo Winch prequel, The Fortune of the Winczlavs, but it’s his characters and ideas that fill the pages of both the political thriller XIII and the out-and-out fantasy, Thorgal.
As is the case every month with Cinebook, every month brings us something new, something excellent, a perfect example of the diversity and strength of Euro comics… so, time for a few covers and a bit of PR from Cinebook about these three…
THE FORTUNE OF THE WINCZLAVS 3: DANITZA, 1965 – Jean Van Hamme & Philippe Berthet
Published by Cinebook on Thursday 26 October, 2023.
“1965. The growing financial empire of the Winch family is now in the hands of Nerio, Tom’s young son. And Nerio, who stands barely above five feet, whose schoolmates always despised because his only friend was the son of his African-American nanny, whom women never so much as looked at … thirsts for power. Meanwhile, back in a Montenegro now under the boot of Yugoslav dictator Tito, is born little Danitza, great-great-grand-niece to one Vanko Winczlav.”
XIII 26 – CUBA, WHERE IT ALL BEGAN – by Yves Sente & Youri Jigounov
Published by Cinebook on Thursday 26 October, 2023.
“After the terrible attack on the Capitol, the Mayflower Foundation, now under the sole leadership of Janet Fitzsimmons, succeeded in taking over the US government. As for Jason McLane, he has become a puppet controlled electronically by Janet – and is now also her husband, as well as one of the new president’s closest advisors. When XIII goes to Cuba in order to covertly spring a Russian hacker from prison, he has no idea his past will once again come back to haunt him.”
THORGAL 24 – THE BATTLE OF ASGARD – by Rosinski & Sente
Published by Cinebook on Thursday 26 October, 2023.
“Jolan, having triumphed in the trials set by his new master Manthor, is now the Chosen One. At last his true mission is revealed: no less than storming Asgard in order to restore the immortality of Manthor’s mother, a goddess who was cast out! While he leads his army of rag dolls to the realm of the gods, Thorgal follows the trail of the Red Mages who kidnapped his other son, Aniel, the child he had with Kriss of Valnor.”
