Written by: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Illustrations: François Boucq
Coloring: François Boucq
Publisher: Blloan
Bouncer Cyclus 1 – Comic Book Review
We’ve had our fair share of Western comic books on the site, and while many may presume that all of these stories will head towards a nearly identical path, they proved to be quite diverse and enthralling. This time we head back to the Wild West, for something rather unique, as Bouncer features a one-armed pistolero, that tries to keep the peace in a dank and dark brothel. While this alone sounds rather interesting, we were actually surprised by the story content this bundle held. As this bundle contains ‘Een Diamant voor het Hiernamaals’ and ‘Het Medelijden van de Beul’, which are a continuation of one another, we will only dive into the specifics of the first album, to not spoil the fun.
Seth lives a rather peaceful life with his father Blake, who married a native American, which was rather uncommon for the time. Nonetheless, Blake is a priest and seems to take his faith seriously, but not in a scary abusive way, which was also common for the time. Seth is an adventurous boy, who tends to disregard the advice of his parents. When he comes home, with two shiny pistols he found in the cavern his father forbade him to go to, he didn’t know it would be a sign that would change his life forever. Soon after, Ralton, a southerner who can’t accept the fact they lost the war, shows up at Blake’s house, claiming they have a score to settle. Luckily Blake forced Seth to hide beneath the floor, after telling him he should get help from a man named ‘Bouncer’, if something would happen to them. As expected, Blake loses his life by the hands of his own brother, Ralton, and Seth’s mother is also brutally murdered. Seth eventually makes a run for it, and heads towards the man his father told him to go to in case of emergency.
After finally making his way to Bouncer, he learns the truth that Ralton, Bouncer and Blake were brothers, and the sons of a very lucrative prostitute. They had a rough life and were in search of fame and fortune, simply because their mother became extremely jealous of someone younger and prettier than her. Of course, this trip down memory lane ended up becoming a tragedy, in which each of the brothers went their own way afterwards, albeit with enough grudges of their own.
If you think you’re constantly being treated to a barrage of action scenes, you’re sorely mistaken. The pace of these two albums are rather slow, as the series is still properly describing the past of Bouncer, making sure you get properly attached (or detached) to his current persona. Nonetheless, this issue still offers enough action in order to keep things exciting, and thanks to the one armed Bouncer, combat becomes slightly more original.
The drawing of both albums featured in this bundle can be best described as raw and gritty, but with a certain amount of detail and realism that starts growing on you. François Boucq certainly knows his way around his drawing utensils, as every illustrations has the air of a proper painting. Boucq is also quite good in making this story come to life by the use of vivid animations in these otherwise still pictures. The dark and bland coloring tones add to the already gritty illustrations and story, making this album a bit ‘dirty’, albeit in a good way.
Conclusion
This first cycle of the Bouncer series proves to be a delight, with a proper storyline to keep you interested, and enough gritty action to keep you on the edge of your seat. Most of all, we were glad to see such an original character star as the lead for this series, perhaps it might just be his persona that makes this series unique. If you’re into Western stories, with unique twists and turns, this collection is certainly worth picking up.
Bouncer Cyclus 1 - Comic Book Review,
No Comments