Written by: Yves Sente
Illustrations: Iouri Jigounov
Coloring: Bérengère Marquebreucq
Publisher: Dargaud
XIII #24 De Erfenis van Jason MacLane – Comic Book Review
In the previous issues of the second cycle of the comic book series XIII, XIII is being treated by a psychiatrist who uses a new technique to stimulate his brain and make him remember his past. That’s how he finds out that his name is Jason MacLane and that his forefathers went to the New World in the 1400s. Here in the present, the Mayflower Foundation would rather see him dead than alive, as he is a threat to their existence. But why? What happened in the past that XIII still doesn’t know about? He starts looking for the documents that hold the reason for the foundation’s hostility, while at the same time running from the FBI, who suspect him of the murders in Bar Harbor, and looking out for his friends Jones and Carrington. After a long search, he finds the documents, but he’ll have to get some more help to translate these old papers.
Jason MacLane goes to the Netherlands to get the documents translated by a professor in Amsterdam. That’s how he finds out that his forefather Henry Hamson found a goldmine after arriving in America. A few decades later, Robert Hamson becomes the lover of queen Elisabeth I, and when she bears their illegitimate child, she donates him the ownership of the land in the New World where Henry Hamson found the goldmine. Jason appears to be the only direct descendant from this bastard child, thus he is in fact the owner of the goldmine.
If Jason decides to use these documents to claim his land, the sinister activities of the Mayflower foundation would become public, since they are based exactly in the area where Jason’s land is. It seems that the heirs of the original passengers of the Mayflower, who landed in the New World in 1620, have a lot to hide, and will thus do anything to keep everything covered up.
Yves Sente treats us to a story that is quite complicated, with lots of different storylines. This can make it quite hard to follow, but nonetheless does add some extra layers to the story. Unlike what we’re used to in many comic books, this one is a part of a cycle, and thus doesn’t really have a beginning or an ending. If you haven’t read the previous issues of this second cycle, you can read the short summary at the beginning of the album, but still it is advised to read the whole series if you truly want to understand the full story. Often, there are references to previous albums that don’t really have added value, but only slow you down in your reading. The story is nonetheless interesting and complicated enough.
The illustrations by the hand of Iouri Jigounov look quite detailed. Facial expressions often show people who are troubled or tensed, and these emotions are very well portrayed. The coloring was done by Bérangère Marquebreucq and looks quite colorful considering the grim subject. Nonetheless, it gives everything a lively look. The cover illustration looks quite special, mostly because of the coloring that has a lot of shadow effects and no harsh lines, as if it has been painted. It’s a nice touch to the whole.
Conclusion
XIII #24 De Erfenis van Jason MacLane throws you right in the middle of the action, as it is already the fifth album of the second cycle of XIII, which holds one big story. Because there is so much going on, and so much has already been going on, it is quite difficult to follow. On the other hand, if you do take the time to read all the albums, it will definitely be worth it.
XIII #24 De Erfenis van Jason MacLane - Comic Book Review,
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