Written by: Michel Weyland
Illustrations: Michel Weyland
Coloring: Nadine Weyland
Publisher: Dupuis
Aria #37 Laat de Beschuldigde Zwijgen – Comic Book Review
Injustice is everywhere to be found. Some people have everything (whether or not it was honestly obtained), while others have to live in complete misery. Life on earth isn’t always fair, and even in the fantasy world Aria lives in, there is a lot of injustice. But Aria has strong beliefs, and fights against this injustice. Maybe it won’t change the world, but it will change the lives of a few people for the better, nonetheless.
The story starts off with an indictment against a woman named Kartzy. She murdered her husband after having been beaten by her husband for the umpteenth time. His abuse even caused the death of her unborn baby. Unfortunately, her husband was an important magistrate of justice, so while her act is perfectly understandable, his death cannot go unpunished, and a carefully selected group of warriors is being sent to the woods, to go and track her down.
Meanwhile, Aria is staying with the Humelfen deep in the woods, who are creatures that are half elf, half plant. That night they throw a party for Aria, as she will have to leave the next morning. At daybreak she leaves, and after roaming around for a while, she decides to stop at the nearest village, to rest. Sadly, when she gets there, she sees that all houses are on fire, and she finds a man, tied up and half beaten to death. He tells her that soldiers came by and asked for information about a blonde, blue-eyed woman. Because he refused to talk, they burnt down the village. Luckily most of the inhabitants could flee in time. After roaming around a little longer, she encounters the soldiers. Unfortunately she is not able to defeat them, and they capture her. The soldiers mistake her for Kartzy, as she fits the description quite well. Despite trying to convince them over and over of the fact that she is not Kartzy, they take her to the city, to be punished for the murder Kartzy committed. The future doesn’t look very bright for Aria, but the journey is long, and lots of things can still happen.
The idea of the story is quite simple: a woman got pushed so far over the edge that she committed murder on her husband and is wanted, to be held accountable for her actions. Unfortunately there isn’t much more to tell. Of course the mix-up between Aria and Kartzy lengthens this tale, but for readers who are already accustomed to Aria, it’s clear from the start that Aria is telling the truth, which doesn’t make it very exciting. The way these women can fight, on the other hand, is quite a bit more exciting, although the men often don’t act in such a smart manner. It’s also a bit strange to see fairytale-like creatures in an otherwise quite realistic story.
Illustrations are drawn in many short strokes. The backgrounds aren’t very detailed, but are often just hinted at, with only a few lines and the right color scheme. This sometimes adds a bit of mystery, which only benefits the story. The eyes are the characters’ features that stand out the most and are sometimes even a bit scary to see. Other than that, the characters are very nicely illustrated. The placing of the panels is different on every page, which helps to keep things interesting.
Conclusion
Although the idea of the story of Aria #37 Laat de Beschuldigde Zwijgen is not bad at all, the working-out could maybe have been a tad more extensive, as there isn’t that much story value. Other than that, Michel Weyland’s illustrations are unique, and add a vibe of mystery and fantasy. If you’re looking for something easygoing, with a rather straightforward story, this one might be an okay one to add to your collection.
Aria #37 Laat de Beschuldigde Zwijgen - Comic Book Review,
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