Written by: Jean-Luc Garréra
Illustrations: Alain Julié
Coloring: Alexandre Amouriq & Mirabelle
Publisher: Ballon
Wielergek #9 – Comic Book Review
In our review of the latest issue of Voetbalgek, you could already read our thoughts on these football gags. Now we have another review ready for you, not about football this time though, but about cycle racing. We follow the Carbon Club while they are training together with the world famous cyclist Laurent Jalabert.
Bad luck makes Schuivertje crash into Laurent Jalabert, a world renowned cyclist. Luckily, he doesn’t take it too badly and he even agrees to help the members of the club train for one season. Furthermore, we mainly see how the men and women train, and the difficulties their trainer has to deal with. Other than that, there isn’t much story value to be found.
The comic book consists out of several gags by Jean-Luc Garréra, sometimes forming a small storyline, while other gags just stand on their own. They are usually no more than one page long, although some cover multiple pages. Every now and then there are also one panel gags, which form a nice change from time to time. The gags concern jokes about the cyclists while training, as well as during competition, but we also see gags about their love for their bikes and their not so happy wives.
We see both the male and the female cyclists train, which brings a welcome change. While the gags are usually funny enough, they are often quite predictable. Also the gags concerning the female cyclists often don’t offer more than comments on the ladies’ breasts, butts and overall appearance. Also their conduct is very stereotypical, which makes it all a bit too much.
The illustrations are the work of Alain Julié and look quite typical for gags like these. They look quite simple, and the characters all have quite a noticeable chin. The women all have big breasts and round curves, which was to be expected. Alexandre Amouriq and Mirabelle use bold colors to suit Julié’s illustrations.
Conclusion
Wielergek #9 forms a collection of gags, all revolving around cycle racing. The gags are funny at times, predictable at others, and above all quite stereotypical. While this was to be expected, it might seem a bit too much now and then. If you have five minutes to kill, this might be a nice way to do so. On the other hand, if you really have some free time to spare, there are nicer things to invest it in.
Wielergek #9 - Comic Book Review,
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