Written by: Jean-Yves Delitte
Illustrations: Jean-Yves Delitte
Coloring: Jean-Yves Delitte
Publisher: Casterman
Het Bloed van Lafaards De Samenzwering – Comic Book Review
England’s history is so colorful that, no matter where your story is set, it is bound to be entertaining. Het Bloed van Lafaards is set in the seventeenth century, at a time where Oliver Cromwell’s memory is still quite fresh. Charles II soon took the throne after Cromwell’s son Richard resigned, yet his power is still not very established, thus in the whole of England, these are turbulent and difficult times for everyone. The perfect setting for the following story.
We write 1666 when in Yorkshire, the widow of the earl of Berkshire is the victim of a raid while on her way to London to see the King. Lucky for her, Major Arthur J. Joyce Byron Pike – quite a mouthful – comes to her rescue. She is immensely grateful to him for saving her life, and thus it doesn’t take long before she can convince her cousin King Charles II to invite him to Whitehall as well. Pike agrees and travels to London where, after all formalities, the king immediately asks him to investigate the murder of George Wilson a few days before. He suspects that a conspiracy against him is in the making, and since Pike’s reputation is impeccable, he seems like the right man for the job.
Major Pike starts an investigation, but while questioning the witness mentioned in the original report of Captain Tobias, he soon finds out that the man is lying for someone. The man manages to escape though, so it’s back to square one. Something is not quite right in the report, that much becomes clear to Pike, but why would the Captain exclude evidence from his report? And why did the man lie? And most of all: is the king right to worry about a possible conspiracy?
Even though the subject and setting of this comic book might already suggest that there’s a lot going on, it never feels like the pace is too fast. There is definitely a good bit of action every now and then, but the pace remains quite pleasant nonetheless. Knowing who’s who is a bit tricky at first, but never too much of a bother to be able to enjoy the story. The two intertwining storylines make sure that you, the reader, always know one thing more than Major Pike. That way, you get more involved in the story, while at the same time you still need Pike to figure out who did it, keeping your curiosity fresh. In short, it’s a bit like a true British detective: a comfortable yet not too fast pace, with enough elements to make you wonder, yet you just won’t figure it out all by yourself. Truth be told, that’s how we like it.
The illustrations and their more grizzled looking colors fit the story really well, which is only natural since Jean-Yves Delitte took care of both. His drawings focus a lot on the faces, thus adding an extra texture to the story. Every now and then, he chose to insert a full page illustration, as if he wants to introduce the next big event that’s about to happen. While all illustrations in the issue look quite nice, these big ones are absolutely worth taking a closer look at.
Conclusion
Het Bloed van Lafaards De Samenzwering is a fun detective story with a pleasant, not too fast pace. At times it isn’t easy to know who’s who, yet it never truly becomes a bother, as the overall storyline is clear from the start. The illustrations fit the theme very well, and certainly the full page drawings are worth checking out. If you’re looking for some conspiracy and murder, this comic book might be a good place to start.
Het Bloed van Lafaards De Samenzwering - Comic Book Review,
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