The Best Of Euro Comics: Cinebook’s Titles For August – Adventures On The High Seas & In The Wild West With ‘Black Mary’ & ‘Lonesome’

Every month the publisher Cinebook brings us the very best of the incredibly rich and diverse world of European comics, and we’ve got the previews of their August titles right here…

Oh yes, every month I’m here pointing out to those who haven’t realised it yet that the world of Euro Comics is a vast, rich, diverse world where literally every genre of storytelling is represented, beautifully written and illustrated by some fabulous writers and artists. And they sell. Oh boy, they sure do sell. The best-selling bandes dessinées sell in the millions.

But for so many years, getting English language versions of the finest Euro Comics was nigh on impossible. Translations of series began and then abruptly stopped, publishers would come and go, meaning for the longest time all we really know of Euro Comics was Asterix and Tintin for all ages and the artists reprinted through Heavy Metal for the adults.

Not anymore, not for quite a while. Publishers like Cinebook have come along and made that commitment to bringing us the very finest of Euro comics, showing us just how wide-ranging the subjects are, how the finest Euro Comics are the very best the medium has to offer.

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So, here’s what’s to look forward to from Cinebook this August, another three titles to showcase all that Euro Comics can bring to the wonderful world of comics – something from the high seas, a long-running humanist sword and sorcery title, and something unexplained deep in the rainforest.

In the latest volume of Amazonia, part of Leo’s Kenya saga from Brazilian writer and artist Leo, here writing with Rodolphe, and with art by Bertrand Marchal, we’re with Katherine Austin, agent of British Secret Intelligence Service, and we’re investigating the strange phenomena of the world. It’s mystery creatures, bizarre occurrences, and deadly espionage all wrapped up in one wide-ranging adventure. Now, Kathy Austin is in the Amazonian rainforest on the trail of a potential alien creature.

Then there’s the latest in the saga of Redbeard, by Jean-Charles Kraehn & Stefano Carloni, where the big-hearted ex-pirate captain is off to a French colony looking for hidden treasure. The only thing Redbeard has to go on is a name – Mami Wata. But Mami Wata is a Vodou goddess, the Mother of Waters – and that’s not going to go well for the ex-pirate that just can’t seem to give up the life.

And finally, we have some epic sword and sorcery fantasy in Thorgal – originally created by the legendary Belgian writer Jean Van Hamme and Polish graphic artist Grzegorz Rosinski. Van Hamme left his creation after 29 volumes, but confusingly Cinebook haven’t yet published all of the Van Hamme volumes and are now, with their 25th Cinebook volume, onto the tales scripted by Yves Sente. The Blade Ship, as many of the early Sente-written volumes did, focuses on Thorgal’s son, Jolan. Still all the same world of magic and adventure, Vikings, Gods, epic battles, exploration, and intrigue.

Okay then – time for a preview of the covers and the Cinebook PR…

Amazonia 2 – Episode 2

Writers: LEO & Rodolphe

Artist: Bertrand Marchal

Published by Cinebook on Thursday 22 August 2024

On the trail of the bizarre, potentially alien creature photographed in Brazil, Kathy Austin has reached the isolated mission where the photographer died. Unfortunately, the road forward leads into the heart of the rainforest and the territory of extremely hostile natives. Continuing will be difficult and dangerous, especially as she appears to be followed by a number of people including two suspicious Germans … and the Brazilian Navy!

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Redbeard 3 – Mami Wata –

Writer: Jean-Charles Kraehn

Artist: Stefano Carloni

Published by Cinebook on Thursday 22 August 2024

Redbeard is in Tortuga, once a free haven for pirates, now a French colony. Here he hopes to find his old nemesis Morgan’s hidden treasure. His only clue is a name – Mami Wata. But Mami Wata is a Vodou goddess, the Mother of Waters. The Europeans on the island know nothing of her, and the slaves, who worship and fear her, won’t talk. The pirate captain is forced to look for the goddess’s priest … but can he trust him?

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Thorgal 25 – The Blade Ship –

Writer: Sente

Artist: Rosinski

Published by Cinebook on Thursday 22 August 2024

While Jolan and his companions finally learn from Manthor what their grand destiny will be, Thorgal is still on the trail of the men who kidnapped his other son, Aniel. Along with jolly mercenary Petrov, he sails down a frozen river aboard a Blade Ship – a trade vessel equipped with heavy metal blades to break the ice. The journey is fraught with dangers – storms, raiders, spies, wild animals … and a group of shipwrecked Vikings looking for a mysterious chest …