Written by: Stéphan Colman
Illustrations: Eric Maltaite
Coloring: Eric Maltaite, Cerise, Lady C.
Publisher: DUPUIS
Stomp: De spoken van Knightgrave – Deel twee – Comic Book Review
Tif et Tondu is one of those classic Belgian series that revolves around a pair of detectives and while the series has known a 59 year long career, the series was put on hiatus in 1997. Even though there are rumors of it picking up again in 2016, it’s actually one of the villains that has started making its appearance once again. Stomp, the elegantly clothed but masked villain has always been an intriguing appearance in the detective series, and seeing he always wore a knight’s helmet, there was still a lot to learn about this classy, yet unbeatable villain.
It’s hard to properly describe the story of this second part of ‘De spoken van Knightgrave’ without giving away too many details. Nonetheless, we head back in the past to 1934, 1935 and 1955, which are all significant points in Stomp’s life. In 1955 he is a feared criminal, always a dozen steps ahead of pretty much all law enforcement groups, all over the world. While he is seemingly an omnipotent villain, he still continues to tease the police, simply because he can, and to some it even feels as if he has absolutely nothing to lose. Perhaps this is actually what drives him and makes his evil career so successful.
Further back in time, in 1934 and 1935 we see how Stomp looked without his fancy costume and his shining headpiece on. As a young boy, he has gone through many hardships and was even incarcerated at a certain time. During his escape he got in cahoots with a local thieving group that consisted out of other young boys, all led by a ‘father figure’ that simply wanted to earn his buck. Nonetheless, it soon becomes clear that the young Stomp is no dimwitted child, and thus he is quickly noticed by Texas, who is still working together with him in the 50’s. Slowly Stomp is being molded into the mastermind he is today, but not before he has lost his mother, his only parent and thus having not that much more to lose. Even though he makes friends, it seems his once righteous ambitions are also turning into raging crime-sprees.
Overall the flow of this album is very chaotic, but interesting nonetheless. With the constant shifting of the time periods, it takes a few pages to get used to things, but before you know it, you’re intrigued to see how things will fare in every single time period. Not only does the story revolve around Stomp and his ‘creation’, but also around those who want to track him down and bring him to justice. That being said, even though Stomp is not one to shy away from a bit of blood, or a lot if the situation calls for it, you’ll feel a certain sympathy for this villain. Stéphan Colman does a superb job at dragging you into a world of pain, hate and in some cases justice. In many ways it’s a talent to make your readers like the villain.
Illustrations are a bit ‘old school’, like the series Stomp originally appeared in, but they are also rather detailed. This thick album offers a lot of detailed backdrops, and pictures loaded with clutter and a certain sense of animation, which makes things even more appealing. Eric Maltaite seems to be able to translate the text into illustrations rather fluently and his cooperation with Lady C. and Cerise in terms of coloring, also granted a fruitful outcome. A very appealing album that combines old and new.
Conclusion
Stomp: De spoken van Knightgrave – Deel twee is a very intriguing sequel to the villain’s own series. Not only does this issue shed a light on how this rather peculiar figure came to be, it’s also refreshing to have a comic book series that revolves around the bad guy. With great writing, an interesting back-story and great illustrations, you’ll find yourself liking Stomp as a character, and with every single page that is flipped, you’ll want to learn more about him. We hope there is a smaller gap between issue two and three, than there was between one and two.
Stomp: De spoken van Knightgrave – Deel twee - Comic Book Review,
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