Written by: Valérie Mangin
Illustrations: Steven Dupré
Coloring: Roberto Burgazzoli
Publisher: Casterman
De Roofdierenclub #1 De Boeman – Comic Book Review
19th century London, was a prospering city, albeit thanks to the hands of the many workers that slaved themselves hour after hour in the factories, while only receiving pay that would barely provide food on the table. While the gap between the common man and the aristocracy is probably still as big as it is today, even though we don’t realize it anymore being smothered by gadgets and other unimportant items, there is something brewing in the alleys of the city, something vile and disgusting that even those who have nothing, fear it will come to haunt them. Fiction or not, this is a story about the well renowned boogeyman.
Jack, an orphan posing as a chimneysweeper as a cover for him actually being a petty thief, is always looking to fill his belly with food, as he doesn’t want to end up in one of the factories destroying his own body to make the rich even richer. That being said, he hasn’t been an orphan for that long as he used to live rather happily with his father, until the boogeyman came for him that is. As ridiculous as it sounds, Jack knows what he saw, yet no one believes him and calls him a child for believing in such nonsense. Even though Jack knows where this foul miscreant resides, the police tells him it’s only a figment of his imagination, as they think his father simply got murdered because he was in debt with the wrong crowd.
When Jack crosses paths with Liz, the daughter of a noble family, he first thinks they could serve as an easy target to fill his belly a few times, but when learning more about her, he also sees an opportunity. It would be quite outstanding if he could use her to tell what he has seen, albeit let her serve to tell it herself and convince people, as she would have more leverage than a poor orphan chimneysweeper. Nonetheless, the overall plan is a daring one, as well as a gruesome one.
The pace of this first part of two is rather slow, albeit a pleasant kind of slow. You’ll constantly be wondering who or what the boogeyman actually is, making it seem like nothing truly happened or things are indeed a figment of Jack’s imagination, but when the secret is revealed by the ending of this first album, you’re in for a horrific treat. That being said, the pacing is probably intended to make the reader constantly wonder what is going on, and in this aspect Valérie Mangin does a superb job in raising curiosity, as well as provide a constant sense of suspense.
Just like the story, the illustrations are rather dark and bleak, but have a hefty detail level to help you set the mood for the coming 56 pages. It’s interesting to see that Steven Dupré opted for very round doll-like faces, adding a bit of horror to the equation, as some facial expressions become even more gruesome when the situation calls for it. As mentioned earlier, everything is accompanied by very bleak and dark colors, thanks to Roberto Burgazzoli, making it seem as if there is an everlasting darkness in London.
Conclusion
De Roofdierenclub #1 De Boeman is an interesting first part of a diptych, where suspense and curiosity battle for supremacy. The dark vibe that surrounds everything enforces both emotions even further, until a certain bomb is dropped to present you with the first piece of the puzzle. If you’re into gritty stories with a dark undertone, this one might surprise you.
De Roofdierenclub #1 De Boeman - Comic Book Review,
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