Written by: Philippe Richelle
Illustrations: Jean-Michel Beuriot
Coloring: Dominique Osuch
Publisher: Casterman
Oorlog en Liefde #7 Korte Metten – Comic Book Review
It seems like both the First and the Second World War are popular subjects for comic books these days. We only just reviewed the third issue of ‘De Oorlog van de Lulu’s’, which is set during the First World War, and we also fairly recently reviewed the third issue of ‘Oorlogsvrouwen’, which takes place during World War Two. Now we can present you with another comic book series: Oorlog en Liefde. In this seventh issue, Martin Mahner, a German officer during Hitler’s regime in 1944, takes the lead.
After he got injured in Ukraine, Mahner is recovering in a hospital in Poland. There he meets Fredi Ott, who tells him about his father who used to be an officer too, who quit the army in 1938 because he could not agree with Hitler’s plans. Soon after meeting Ott, Mahner gets discharged to go to Berlin, where he is reassigned as adjutant of lieutenant-colonel Voigt. Not long after the two meet, the colonel asks Mahner to join in on a mission against Hitler. Mahner accepts and soon gets back in touch with Ott, who is in on the plan too. The adjutant is only a small link in this enormous operation, carrying around messages every now and then. One day he receives an order to deliver a briefcase in Stolberg, but while on his way, he is involved in a car accident. When he wakes up in hospital, there is no sign of the briefcase. The police must have taken it with them. He can only hope for the best and pray that they didn’t open it up.
The story starts off straight away, wasting no time to frame the events. It’s as if the story in the sixth issue seamlessly flows over into this seventh one. We immediately get to know Fredi Ott, and get a glimpse of his ideas, already suggesting that he will be playing a vital role in this issue. This sets the tone for the rest of the issue. The story keeps moving fast, though without feeling hasty.
Philippe Richelle does a great job implementing this story into real historic events. This makes it all look very realistic and adds more excitement.
Jean-Michel Beuriot’s illustrations look simple, in a way. He uses thin black lines, without softening the edges or adding some more structure to faces. This makes it all look quite sharp, though Dominique Osuch’s coloring does soften the illustrations a bit, using shadows on the faces and overall quite muted colors. What strikes the eye is that, whenever Mahner is at Ott’s estate, away from the war and the military, the colors look much more vibrant.
Conclusion
Oorlog en Liefde #7 Korte Metten shows us yet another side of the Second World War. Mahner is part of a German conspiracy against Hitler, although he plays only a minor role. Nonetheless, this does provide ample excitement, as because of this, he and his friends are at great risk. This series is already very promising, and the hardcover edition only adds to the overall quality.
Oorlog en Liefde #7 Korte Metten - Comic Book Review,
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