Written by: Laurent Galandon, Frank Giroud
Illustrations: Frederic Volante
Coloring: Christophe Bouchard
Publisher: Le Lombard
De Advocaat #1 Juridische spelletjes – Comic Book Review
Being a lawyer isn’t always as straightforward as it may seem. Sometimes the person you’re defending might seem guilty to the public, while you know that this is not the case and will do anything to serve justice. In big cases it’s important to have the media on your side, not in the least because they have a big impact on the public’s opinion. Nonetheless, if you’re cunning enough, you can also use the media to your advantage. In this new series we follow Leopold Sully-Darmon while he fights for the cause of a woman who is accused of crimes against humanity.
Leopold Sully-Darmon is a lawyer who is famous for taking cases defending the homeless, fighting for women’s rights and so on. Whenever he wins a case, which happens to be quite often, the media are never far off and he happily explains them everything they want to hear. Unfortunately, there is one journalist, Poljak, who is not interested in the cases he wins, but rather in his past and private life. Sully-Darmon just brushes him off, but Poljak starts to dig deeper. The famous lawyer will have to be careful as there are a few things in his life that he would rather keep private, such as the fact that his father tortured prisoners in Cameroon, or his mother with a gambling addiction. Also the veiled woman he rents an apartment for might cause questions when made public, as he is so known for fighting for women’s rights.
Meanwhile a former client comes to him with a special request. This client’s ex-wife Zeinab is being accused of crimes against humanity in Iraq, but she insists that she is innocent. After talking to her, Sully-Darmon is convinced that she speaks the truth, when she tells him that it is probably her twin sister who is the culprit. In order to gather enough evidence, the lawyer decides to travel to Iraq and visit certain places and people who could help him prove his case.
The story moves at a very steady pace. The comic book sets off in the middle of a courtroom and immediately gives you an idea of who Leopold Sully-Darmon is. We see how he defends his client in court, as well as how he handles the media afterwards. The important people in his personal life are introduced quite soon, which helps to get a good idea of Sully’s personality. After that, we dive straight into the next case, namely that of Zeinab. He will not only have to prove her innocence in the courtroom, but also, and maybe more importantly, to the public.
Laurent Galandon and Frank Giroud present you with a fast moving story that is never dull. Although a lot of things already happen in this issue, it feels like it is just the beginning of a much more complex case, which will hopefully be developed in the next issues.
The illustrations by Frederic Volante are not very detailed and could have fitted the strong and fast storyline better. Nonetheless they are very nicely drawn and are certainly not unpleasing to the eye.
Conclusion
De Advocaat #1 Juridische spelletjes handles a difficult topic and doesn’t shy from sensitive themes such as the rights of women in the Middle East. The story moves very fast, leaving no time for unimportant side notes. This way you will never get bored, as you will constantly find new information that opens new perspectives. This new series is certainly one to keep an eye out for. We’re already curious as to how Zeinab’s case will evolve in the next issue.
De Advocaat #1 Juridische spelletjes - Comic Book Review,
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