Written by: Wilfrid Lupano
Illustrations: Paul Cauuet
Coloring: Paul Cauuet, GOM
Publisher: Dargaud
Krasse Knarren #3 Wie Vertrekt – Comic Book Review
Everybody will probably knows one of those stereotypical grumpy elderly people, who constantly whine about how the world used to be and that we’re over-privileged (and they’re probably right). While this annoys many of us to death (perhaps a ploy to get rid of us before they’re six feet under themselves), this often makes for rather good stories in movies and (comic) books. Today we’ll have an entire lineup of grumpy old (wo)men for your entertainment. Nonetheless, while the overall situation is sketched lightly, things aren’t always that amusing when one gets older, certainly when thinking back of all the bad choices one has made.
Sophie and her grandfather Antoine are managing to get by, but when there seems no end to the rainfall, it becomes clear that their countryside home is a pure dump, as it has more leaks and holes in the rooftop than tiles on the floor. Nonetheless, Antoine does his best to keep the leaks in check, together with Mimile. When the phone rings, Antoine suspects it’s Sophie, as she was out to watch a play, but to his surprise it’s Berthe, who is considered to be the village crazy lady. After a short barrage of nasty words from each side, Antoine, thanks to Mimile, sucks up his pride and decides to head to Berthe’s farmland as she needs help with the animals. While the overall experience was dreadful, the animals are saved. Of course this did not spare Antoine’s wrath on Sophie, when he asks her for an explanation of how she knows Berthe.
On the other hand the story will also revolve around Mimile a lot, especially around the period he spent in Australia, where he used to play Rugby. His initial plan was only to stay in Australia for a year, but it ended up becoming a big portion of his life. Also, his past seems to be tied with that of Berthe, and Sophie is bound to find out why everyone hates Berthe so much.
Overall the flow of this one is hard to describe, as it feels rather chaotic at times. There is a lot going on, while at the same time there isn’t. Sometimes it feels like the issue skipped a page or two in the middle of an explanation, which makes it quite straining to follow from time to time. Nonetheless, the cast of characters proves to be very interesting, especially their past lives and it seems there is still a lot more to discover from the grumpy old coots. Wilfrid Lupano did his best to create a very diverse cast of old folks, who all seemingly had very interesting lives.
Paul Cauuet presents a very attractive, wrinkly set of characters, all with their own set of characteristics. The overall appearance has the best of both the comical world, as well as a very realistic one. The details are very much present, even in de background. The rather bland and soft coloring makes the album feel of age as well, all thanks to Paul Cauuet and GOM.
Conclusion
Krasse Knarren #3 Wie Vertrekt is mainly about past choices where one person has been suffering for her entire life. If you’re a fan of old people getting worked up for nothing a lot of the time, this one will offer some entertainment value, but it’s clear that there’s a proper story lying underneath as well. Certainly a series that can turn out to be very surprising in the coming issues.
Krasse Knarren #3 Wie Vertrekt - Comic Book Review,
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