BLAKE & MORTIMER; Bilal; THE MOTHERLESS OVEN; Brecht Evens; SHERLOCK HOLMES : Recent European Reads!

Рет қаралды 5,388

Күн бұрын

More recent reads and new comics acquisitions in this video, this time from Europe. As always, this is just as selection of books I've read recently or am planning to get to soon, of which there have been so many lately, I'm doing videos by region!
This batch of comics is doubly thrilling for me as it contains some long awaited and some long sought books, as well as a handful of works by creators I know by reputation but am trying out for the first time.
Buy these books, and others, here (Amazion affiliate links):
The Adventrures of Blake and Mortimer: amzn.to/31TZ6Lq
The books of Enki Bilal: amzn.to/2Y54Kt7
Panther, by Brecht Evens: amzn.to/2DWrlRK
The Making of (Hardcover) by Brecht Evens: amzn.to/2Y5rnNQ
The Sign of the Four, by Ian Edginton and I.N.J. Culbard: amzn.to/3iMgxEq
A Study in Scarlet by Edginton and Culbard: amzn.to/3kO2q3t
The Motherless Oven by Rob Davis: amzn.to/3kQbqoI
The Can Opener's Daughter: amzn.to/3kWSlkX
The Book of Forks, by Rob Davis: amzn.to/2Q0rqWM
My previous video, focusing on Indian comics can be found here:
• The Piano; Vyasa; Age ...
All my 'Recent Reads and New Acquisitions' videos are in this playlist:
• Recent Reads, New Arri...
My complete 'Tintin' playlist of videos: • The Adventures of Tint...
My Top 10 Sci-Fi comics list: • My Top 10 SCI-FI COMICS!
My Top 10 Fantasy comics list: • My TOP 10 FANTASY COMI...
Why not just take a look at all my 'list' videos through this playlist?:
• Top 10s, 5s, and Other...
Our complete comics collection mega-episode Shelf Tour!
• Our Comics Collection
More introductions and reviews of some of my my favourite comics:
• Introductions to Class...
Check out our Community tab, right here on KZfaq! Polls, tidbits, behind-the-scenes pics and more!
/ @ftloc
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Music: Jimmy Fontanez, Media Right Productions from KZfaq Audio Library.
#comics #recentreads #eurocomics

Пікірлер: 161

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

FtLoC Drinking Game: drink every time I say 'adventure'!

@mindthecomics 4 жыл бұрын

One of the things I really appreciate in Blake & Mortimer is the care E.P.Jacobs took in elegantly portraying the classical attire of the time, as well as the consistent pipe smoking, but, unfortunatelly, the post Jacobs artists do not achieve such a fine result. Bilal's Nikopol Trilogy, as I'm sure you know, is his most celebrated work, but the several albums done in collaboration with Pierre Christin are also wonderful. I'm not a fan of Bilal's most recent albums though... he now seems more into illustration than into pure sequential graphic narrative.

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Hello and so glad to see you back! I hope you're keeping well and I love your observation on the pipe smoking - I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for it. I can't seem to find the Nikopol Trilogy easily, unfortunately, but I'm going to redouble my efforts! I know completely what you mean - sometimes with masters of illustration the comics part of it takes a back seat. Not that there's anything wrong with that of course, an artist will always choose and change how they want but I am just less interested in outright illustration and far more interested in comics! Cheers!

@dinismantas7265 3 ай бұрын

"Blake and Mortimer" are one of the very best characters and stories in the comic books genre. The arguments are exceptional. I am surprised no one have tried to adapt them to cinema, which at this point, is probably a good thing.

@ftloc 3 ай бұрын

Which would you say are your favourite Blake and Mortimer adventures?

@hridyanshusingh2740 4 жыл бұрын

I purchased the egmont tintin set by seeing your video and I loved it

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad!

@hridyanshusingh2740 4 жыл бұрын

Your channel is wonderful keep it up 👍

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

I really, really appreciate that! Thank you!

@wowverynice6732 4 жыл бұрын

This is amazing! Thank you for making these incredible videos

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much; it thrills me to hear you like them so much! 😁

@jeemutbbahanroy 4 жыл бұрын

Finally...E.P.Jacobs get some love.

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks in no small part to your continuous illumination, sir! 😁

@barrypanaretou9124 4 жыл бұрын

Brilliant video thank you. From London!

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

So glad you enjoyed it and cheers right back at you from India! 😁

@albano4 3 жыл бұрын

First time commenting, although I've been watching your videos for quite some time now... What a great channel you have here! I'm glad that you liked SOS Meteors. Nowadays, first time readers seem to have a hard time with Blake & Mortimer, so it's a relief to see you enjoyed it. Actually, this one is one of the best titles of the series in my opinion. If you don't mind some recommendations, you should also read The Mystery of the Great Pyramid (2 parts) and The Yellow M, which were the heyday of the series. The Secret of the Swordfish is an epic, but it's dated. When reading, one should have in mind that it is an early work, Jacobs style is developing, and also the time period when it was created, post world war Belgium, still dealing with the consequences of the conflict, which may be an excuse for the weird geopolitical setting. Once you read them, please talk about those other Blake & Mortimer books you got, if possible. I read them, but it'll be pleasure hearing your take on them. Bilal: As others have told you, the Nikopol trilogy is still his best solo work. Yes, writting is probably not the strongest part of his work, but for me, most of the time, his art and the mood he creates is so unique and fascinating that it makes the whole thing worthwhile. A curiosity: That "Beast" or "Monster" trilogy ended up being a tetralogy... Getting back to recommendations, as someone also mentioned, you should also check his works with the writer Pierre Christin. The Hunting Party, in particular, is a master piece.

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you sop very much, and I am so glad that you are enjoying the channel! I'm trying to get my hands on the Pyramid story, but it seems hard to find here, as does the Yellow M. I did get the three part Swordfish story in, so I'll definitely be giving that a look! And thanks for the added recommendation for The Hunting Party, that goes on the list immediately!

@arunmohan8882 4 жыл бұрын

Your analysis and reviews and editing has come a long way and it's really good 👌

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much; it's the constant support and encouragement like this that makes it worthwhile! SO glad you're enjoying the channel!

@bnzps123 4 жыл бұрын

Wow - high praise for the Motherless Oven trilogy. I’m going to have to pick them up now!

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Haha, yes I've loved those books but in case you're worried I may just be basking in a halo/proximity effect, you could always check out the first book to see if it hooks you? Make you let me know what you think either way!

@user-bh2yf1su3p 4 жыл бұрын

I've heard of Blake and Mortimer but never bothered looking it up. Now that you've featured them,the covers themselves give me the Tintin vibe and has made me want to get them immediately. I also didn't know about The Motherless Oven series, thanks for the video!

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Yes, I spent many years avoiding them and now feel a bit foolish. Of course I've only read the one book so far, but I feel this is an interesting series that will have rewards for those who go seeking them! And if you do try out The Motherless Oven, I'd love to hear what you think. As you can tell, I admire it greatly! 😋

@atheistsince1210 3 жыл бұрын

Outstanding public service to expose us to this new artistic material and artists. I just purchased two Bilal volumes from Amazon I really really do appreciate your expertise and will keep coming back for more .

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

So glad you enjoyed it!

@johnlaz7650 3 жыл бұрын

Blake & Mortimer is a superb comic. I like it more than TinTin. I enjoy all the albums (except the two of Dufaux), but my absolutely favourite stories are "The Mystery of the Great Pyramid", "The Secret of the Swordfish", "The Francis Blake Affair" and "The Curse of the 30 Pieces of Silver".

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

I've enjoyed what I've read so far, and will be starting the Secret of the Swordfish soon (I had to wait to get all the volumes!)

@tepiennis1080 4 жыл бұрын

I am glad you reviewed Blake and Mortimer, since I have been interested since i learned Edgar P Jacobs was Herge's art assistant and loved the visual look of B&M, but was worried that the plot/characters would dissappoint. I will definitely check it out b/c of your great review, thank you! You are my favorite comics youtuber!!

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your kind words and I'm so happy to hear you're enjoying the channel! And yes, I found myself in a similar situation as you: I had heard of Blake and Mortimer and even seen a couple of the covers, but thought they were 'imitations' in the wake of Tintin. When I learned a bit more about Edgar P Jacobs (and Bob De Moor and the others in Studios Herge) my curiosity was piqued because I felt they were perhaps as much the 'Herge' I knew as George Remi! And from whatever I have seen so far, Blake and Mortimer is very different tonally from Tintin, as I tried to explain a bit here. Some people will find it too text heavy, and others may miss the loose wandering plotlines of Tintin, but if you take it as its own thing without comparisons, I think it can be quite entertaining! If you try out any of the stories I'd love to know what you thought of them!

@mehernoshtarapore8902 3 жыл бұрын

Titan comics is now doing the Bilal library along with the Philippe druillet library in gorgeous oversized hardcovers

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, people have mentioned and been discussing them here - but there seem to be questions about the colour reproductions? What is your take on that?

@rewanji 4 жыл бұрын

After Tintin, Blake and Mortimer were the 2nd comic series I really collected and what a thrill. I’ve always felt the stories to be more richer in detail and with a truer scientific research feel (kind of...). Still a classic. I was intrigued by the Brecht Evens and will definitely look it up as well as that last trilogy you’ve talked about. Keep the good books coming... cheers.

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

I've only read the one Blake and Mortimer so far, but i definitely get that sense of detail and density your refer to. There's a seriousness of purpose and solidness of narrative that would be unfair to ignore by thinking of it as a Tintin derivative. I can't wait to read more and I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. If you try out any Brecht Evens or the Motherless Oven books, be sure to let me know what you thought of them! Cheers, as always!

@SrMarkavian 3 жыл бұрын

Couldn't finish the episode :) I didn't read yet the book of forks and I didn't want any spoilers :) Thanks for recommending it before. I really enjoy the books! And some of the metaphors like the father be a car, as perspective of a kid that your father bring you to places is really enjoyable and make me rethink of some of the ideas that I see in the comics

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Gret observations on the metaphors possible, it's quite rich that way, without forcing them. Do make sure you come back once you've read the third book and let me know what you think and if you agree with my assessment here. There are no spoilers here as such, but I wouldn't want to affect your judgement by giving too strong an opinion when you are already reading the series! 😁

@hridyanshusingh2740 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you sir for your replies it was fun

@jesusdontexist 3 жыл бұрын

Always liked Tintin alot!! Definitely gonna try blake and mortimer. I bought Bone, Nausicaa and Rusty Brown because of your recomendation. They are fantastic comics!!!

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

It is so great to hear that! And I've enjoyed all the Blake and Mortimer I've tried so far, even though they're quite different from Tintin. If you try any out, I'd definitely be curious as to what you thought of it!

@latterature 3 жыл бұрын

Great video!

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you; so glad you liked it!

@PC-lv8dq 3 жыл бұрын

Hello, my friend. I knew if you liked Tintin, being a Belgian i warmly wanted to recommend you the Blake and Mortimer-series. It's nice to hear you have picked them up already and you like them. I knew, as you liked Tintin, there was a high chance you'd fancy this series as well. The books offer more complex storytelling than Tintin, but i think the art is very detailed as well, Jacobs uses the same "ligne clair" as Hergé, but less cartoonish as you say. I wouldn't call Tintin childish, but maybe it's slightly more suited for young children and a broader audience in general than Blake and Mortimer. It's no wonder the series have some common elements and style, because Hergé and Jacobs share the same generation, influenced each other and even worked together. The Blake and Mortimer-series combine detective, espionage, science fiction, fantasy / mythologic, scientific and historic elements in a great way. They flirt with many facets of different genres over the different albums. Where the books generally mostly excell at in my opinion: they are of course fiction but served in such a realistic way you would almost believed it all truely happened (the lack of this "realism within fiction" in my opinion sadly is a deficit within some titles of the modern comic book industry). I would definitely recommend the Yellow "M", as this is the book of the series that is mostly known internationally and has won renomated prices. My personal favorite is The Riddle of Atlantis. I personally think the first 12 volumes made by original author Edgar P Jacobs are the best, but some of the better recent albums that were made by other authors and illustrators come very close to the orginal series in quality. Here in Belgium all the books are easily available in Dutch and French at a descent price, which may be somehow normal as it's a Belgian title. I hope you can pick some nice volumes at a reasonable price in English though. These truely are quality comics: both art- and storywise!

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you and you're absolutely right - while sharing a few similarities, this series does seem to be a bit more 'grounded' (a funny word to use for some big-consequence stories, but I think we both mean it in reference to how much effort is taken to explain and rationalize things) than the Tintin series. I do think Tintin is more open/ accessible due to its apparent simplicity but also due to the inviting art. The density here seems to affect the clarity a little bit, or maybe the lines are just a little thicker in Tintin? I'll have to do a side by side comparison! Unfortunately I am unable to get my hands on either the Yellow M or the Riddle of Atlantis so far, but I am going to keep looking. I have been able to get the Secret of the Swordfish and the Time Trap, so that's some headway into the series at least! 😋 I'm enjoying them and glad I picked these up - better late than never!

@PC-lv8dq 3 жыл бұрын

@@ftloc Although the first 12 albums are the best in my opinion, i'd advice to pick up or pre-order the most recent ones (as the series is still ongoing), if those are easier to find. The latest albums are still great, the series focusses on quality, as only one album is being released every one or two years. It doesn't matter in which order you read them, as the chronological order in which the events happened is completely different from the release order. Or you could still read some issues online, and if you like them you may still complete your collection later on, if some issues become better available. I still think online is a descent alternative for copies that are harder to find. It doesn't exclude you find the book in paper later on, but you have still enjoyed the content in the meanwhile. Good luck!

@JO-zy6fh 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome! This also answers a question I had while watching your shelf tour videos: has he read/does he have any Brecht Evens? The Making Of is so fun to just look at. The story is pretty compelling too. Deadly combo! I heard the Panther is one of his best but I've yet to read it. The size/shape seems a bit unwieldy to me but I know it would find a nice spot on one of your deeper shelves :)

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Haha, I ended up tempting myself and ordered a copy of Panther (also that 'only one copy left!' warning panicked me!) so I'll be reading, (and shelving!) it soon enough hopefully.

@jaykolkata 3 жыл бұрын

Hi thanks for another great video . This is the first time where I have read/known most of the book you mentioned 😁. Enki Bilal is one of my favourite comic creator , so I was realy hopeful when Titan comics announced reprint of Enki Bilal library. But all of their reprint are really bad , colours are muted sometimes even changed. So , beware from them . As you are going for geo-political grouping, I would realy like to see one video in latin American comics. I recently read Mort Cinder , I am impressed to say the least. Alberto Breccia's art is exquisite and mind blowing. Fantagraphics is reprinting most of his work so this would be a great time to collect his work.

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you, so glad you liked it! Oh that's an interesting note about Titan's Bilal reprints! Do you know about their Druillet books, which I just learned about a little while ago on these comments? I've been meaning to ghet my hands on Mort Cinder for a while but I waited too long last year and the price shot up. I even held the book in my hands in the Graham Crackers visit video and put it back, intending to buy it in India! 😋 Now I am sorely tempted to go for in spite of the higher price as the fear of it going out of print (like happened with the original version of the Eternaut) is creeping in. But the geographical classifications were just a temporary thing for this batch of recent arrivals - I'm now polling on some other categories for the rest on the community page in case yo haven't voted yet! : kzfaq.infoUgwQrbLFRLxKIsdGXMN4AaABCQ

@jaykolkata 3 жыл бұрын

@@ftloc I have not seen the Druillet physically. But what I have seen from Earl Grey's video , reproduction is not good . It is a common theme for Titan Comics. May be they go for cheap press or source material is bad.

@liamschulzrules 3 жыл бұрын

I have the Titan Bilal and Druillet books.Yes there are a couple faults in 2 Druillet books, I never would have spotted them thought if I didnt know of them beforehand, they dont lessen the reading experience for me. The Bilal books are great though, full of strange smudgy wonder. No regrets in collecting Titan's reprints of either of these 2 creators.

@nicktownsendMobb 4 жыл бұрын

I have really enjoyed Culbard's Lovecraft adaptations and have been meaning to pick up his Sherlock Holmes books.

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Oh, I need to look into those Lovecraft stories! It's a shame his other Holmes books are so hard to find, here at least. His style really appeals to me and if paired with good writing I think it is a force to be reckoned with!

@punkoso 3 жыл бұрын

i haven't read any of these books, but I DID go pretty crazy once i could buy comics again. my to read pile is huge! and after seeing those rob davis and sherlock books, i think it's gonna get bigger real soon (if i can find them!)

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

What did you get when the floodgates opened? 😁 Also, if you get your hands on the Motherless Over or the Egdinton/ Culbard Holmes adaptations, do let me know what you think of them!

@daveid9271 Жыл бұрын

The Motherless Oven series is fantastic. It's such a headtrip, there's really nothing quite like it!

@ftloc Жыл бұрын

Absolutely. Once I finished The Book of Forks, i went right back to the start and read it again! Astonishing stuff.

@agotti 3 жыл бұрын

I have the all of Jacobs' Blake and Mortimer on ComiXology. Read all of them. Its fun read. And its inexpensive as electronic copies.

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

That's great! I've got eight so far and have been enjoying them! I'm only going for the ones I can find at reasonable prices, but I would have probably saved a lot of money if I could read digitally! 😋

@CemSelamet 3 жыл бұрын

What funny timing; I recently purchased a secondhand batch of Blake and Mortimer volumes (1-5, 15, 16, 18), as well as started looking into Enki Bilal books. I’ve also been tempted to grab some of Druillet volumes (both Bilal and Druillet books have been reprinted by Titan Books).

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Haha, great minds think alike is what I always say when such coincidences pop up! 😁 Druillet is another name that has come up quite often and I'm glad to hear about the Titan reprints of his work - now to see if they're easily available here! Thanks!

@vellu5000 4 жыл бұрын

I made the mistake of trying to read Blake and Mortimer from the beginning. "The Secret of the Swordfish" is not by reputation among the strongest works in the series, and the massive scientific and geopolitical developments of that story are apparently ignored by the later stories, so the chronological reading experience went to waste from that angle too. I really have to try again sometime, as this series gets recommended all the time.

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Haha now you tell me! 😋 Ah well, none of the other books, other than Time Trap were even available, so I'll just go with what I got right now and keep my eyes open for opportunities. Have you heard about the non-Jacobs stories the same thing someone else said in these comments, that they're not as good?

@vellu5000 4 жыл бұрын

Wee-ell, Jean van Hamme writes pretty good spy thrillers, so I think his stories should be at least decent. No idea about Yves Sente: he seems to mostly write sequels to other’s creations. But truthfully, the real doozy of the non-Jacobs stories is "Le Dernier Pharaoh", not translated by Cinebook, at least yet: It is illustrated by no less legend than Francois Schuiten himself, done in a completely different, naturalistic style. Wikipedia tells me it might get a translation next year. Getting Schuiten to illustrate a story speaks volumes about the prestige the series enjoys in France.

@tintintechnical2517 4 жыл бұрын

This video is so amazing.

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, much much appreciated! 😀

@vellu5000 2 жыл бұрын

After several attempts I have a come around on my opinion on Blake and Mortimer. It is a lot of hard work for very little return: Stiff ligne claire compositions, huge amounts of text and rather flat characterisations. I do not think Jacobs’ work has stood the test of time. I mean, at least Tintin has Captain Haddock! I have found that the most readable albums are the ones with whatever subject matter that interests you the most. The first three albums are in fact my favorites, with their WWIII theme.

@ftloc 2 жыл бұрын

My opinion is somewhere closer to yours than to adulation. I respect it but find the series hard to love. I know many people who do, so once again personal autobiography makes a significant difference, i feel, to the sentiment this series evokes. I like the unexplained phenomenon setups the most, but i have only now read a handful.

@scottfranta6891 3 жыл бұрын

I absolutely LOVED Ian Culbard's "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward." I'll be on the lookout for "A Study in Scarlet." I'm more interested in his other Lovecraftian adaptations based on my love of horror and science fiction, but I'm a believer in broadening horizons with comics. Thanks for the spoiler-free reviews. I tend to go in and out of virtual space, but FtLoC always has me plugging in!! I CANNOT WAIT to find a copy of "The Motherless Oven." It looks a lot like a book called "The Wrenchies" by Farel Dalrymple published by First Second. I frequent a used book chain which is local to my state (Minnesota, United States) looking for numerous stories I've heard of from you, so thanks for giving gems of suggestions. By the way, I regret to inform you I decided to pour a dram of scotch for your "adventure" game, but it quickly turned into another (or a few depending on the oz/ml poured per dram) due to the EIGHTEEN "adventures" which occurred in just minutes, haha. I was taking very small sips after about a dozen word drops. Thanks for that. When I was in eighth grade, we had to count the "ums" and "uhs" in the speeches of our peers, so I took the game as an homage to younger days (plus adult beverages). Cheers

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Hahaha I am THRILLED that you actually played one of my drinking games! While editing my videos, I am often exasperated at myself for circling back to the same dozen words over and over again. Much like the um and er tic you mention, after a while I hear nothing else! When particularly bad, I put one of these drinking games into the comments to try and head off any criticism at the pass, so to speak! Thanks for the count and I'm glad you enjoyed the scotch! 😋 After these Holmes books, I am on the lookout for anything by Culbard so I'm definitely looking up the Lovecraft adaptations - thanks for the heads up! I enjoyed the Wrenchies, although perhaps not as much as I thought I would have - the art style had me really excited. This is not to say the book disappointed, by any means, and now I feel I should take another look (it has been several years, after all!)

@scottfranta6891 3 жыл бұрын

@@ftloc Agreed on The Wrenchies. I LOVED the art. I often open a book to about 25% of the way through, flip back a couple of pages, and decide if the art tickled a fancy. This was the case with this story. When I started, the childhood adventure of slaying demons seemed kickass, but the story began to drag and the plot seemed a tad thin. The art held up throughout the entire story, and the ending was satisfying enough that the book stays on my shelf. I'll certainly reread it down the line! Cheers, Scotty F

@kouroshakef6428 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for this nice video. Wonderful as usual . I would dare to suggest another franco-belgian comics. May be you have already known and have the series: "Valerian and Luareline" by Jean-Claude Mézières and Pierre Christin . The series were created in 1967and they were translated into English and published by CINEBOOK in 2011. It is almost in sci-fi genre and a space exploration adventure.

@ftloc 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I picked up the first volume of Valerian in a bookstore and read about a third of it. It is undoubtedly a very influential work, but something about the tone and art style seemed, at least back then for those first parts, a bit mismatched. I guess the caricatured figures made me think more of comedic comics like Asterix but the tone was more serious. A very unfair dismissal probably, so I should try once more, I feel!

@alaay1864 4 жыл бұрын

Finally! European comics are my favorite, the substance, the story, the art, the writings. thank you for the efforts! More of these please! Can you name a few european comic publishing company? Like Humanoids for example. If you know of any

@chad8767 4 жыл бұрын

Cinebook, Dargaud, Glénat, Delcourt, Soleil. There are also plenty of US companies that will publish european comics like Heavy Metal, Titan Comics (my fav from them is Skydoll), Fantagraphics has done lots, and Dark Horse.

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Chad here has taken care of the question better than I could have, so I 'll just sit back and relax! 😁

@blacksad1287 3 жыл бұрын

@@chad8767 Do not forget the most classic publishers: Casterman, Le Lombard and Dupuis

@vishnukanth7393 3 жыл бұрын

Ok..Now I am going to read Motherless Oven soon....and the sequels too.....I t sounds fantastic and I like the art style too... Talking about the third part being perfect, Please watch Netflix original Dark bro...3 seasons and a brilliant 3rd season.....Ending it connecting all the dots and answering all the questions.....

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Haha it is so interesting you should mention Dark when talking about the Motherless Oven. Although they are nothing alike, here is a reference I made when I posted about this book on the community page here (also mentioned in the comments!): kzfaq.infoUgyd0laB3NWtJKw0UKR4AaABCQ

@vishnukanth7393 3 жыл бұрын

@@ftloc Everything is connected bro...😊

@pratyayghosh1717 4 жыл бұрын

Blake and Mortimer! You did it! ♥️ Ps - Totally agree about the text density

@pratyayghosh1717 4 жыл бұрын

Speaking of the couple of weeks regarding the delivery, did you order from Bookswagon?

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Yes, I finally did it - all thanks to a some very convincing friends of the channel! 😁 And yes, Bookswagon has a better range and prices for most of the European/ Cinebooks I've seen, so a couple of week's wait is completely worth it. I have waited years to get books in hand, I have honed my patience...

@pratyayghosh1717 4 жыл бұрын

@@ftloc Bookswagon is also my seller of choice. But the wait can be agonizing 😅😅 Been waiting for a delivery for a couple of weeks now 🤣

@pratyayghosh1717 4 жыл бұрын

Just bought A Study In Scarlet after watching the video...couldn't help myself 😅

@rajatsen3975 4 жыл бұрын

Nowadays no one talks about Edgar P Jacob's wonderful Blake and Mortimer comics which are one of the best example of the ligńe claire art which was invented by Georges Prosper Remi so thank you sir to make a video on this great series. If you are enjoying the Sherlock graphic novel then i also think you will like the Byomkesh graphic novels (in bengali) which i thoroughly enjoyed.

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

I know there have been a couple of Byomkesh comics, including in English - which ones are you referring to and have they been translated into English, do you know? Too often there are 'children's comics' made by adapting stories that miss the mark for me. I feel they don't understand comics vocabulary and power, choosing instead the most basic of illustrative approaches and an incorrect mixture of image and text, so I would always love to read a really good comics adaptation. If it doesn't bring anything new to the table, then I'd rather just stick to the original 😁

@rajatsen3975 4 жыл бұрын

@@ftloc Byomkesh comics are published in english?? Why i didn't knew that earlier 😅😅. I know that Penguin has published some of Byomkesh stories in english translation but didn't knew about the english comics but sir i am talking about the bengali comicbooks which were published in the recent years and only 3 volumes are published and i found these books really intriguing.

@KolkatarChhele111 4 жыл бұрын

Are there any collective edition of The Adv of Blake and Mortimer like Tintin? Because collecting individual books could be a little bit space taking! And art looks a lot like Tintin which means am surely gonna enjoy them so looking more to buy it hence, asked the question. Can you put some light on it?

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

I hunted around for a while for any collected volumes, but couldn't find anything unfortunately, at least not available to us here in India. These individual albums may actually be a blessing in disguise though, being as easy to read as the Tintin albums of my childhood were and not biting the pocket as much as bigger books or a full box set might have (this is just me trying to look on the bright side of things) 😋

@Madbmberwhatbmbsatmidnight 4 жыл бұрын

You should also check out Edgington’s collaborations with D’israeli. Scarlet Traces, Stickleback, Kingdom of the Wicked, Leviathon are all books of theirs that I own and would strongly recommend.

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

I've been very intrigued by Scarlet Traces ever since I read about it and will now renew my search... But the "oh wow" moment I had just now was at your mention of Kingdom of the Wicked - I read this over a decade ago and only now did I realize it was written by Edginton! I't was a shabby Dark Horse hardcover I bought off a street-vendor and I am going to dig it out of my 'mildewed books' shelf right now - thank you!

@vellu5000 4 жыл бұрын

I have read all of these save for Stickleback and they are indeed solid reads. Edginton’s strongest skill is coming up with an imaginative idea for a story: you just have to find out what happens based on the basic premise alone.

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

@@vellu5000 I really wish I could get my hands on more of his books, he seems like the kind of writer I'd really enjoy. I'm going to revisit Kingdom of the Wicked and keep looking for the Scarlet Traces!

@pareekatti 3 жыл бұрын

European comics are my favourite style of comics

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Who are your favourite creators/ which ones are your favourite stories?

@pareekatti 3 жыл бұрын

@@ftloc Obvious one being Herge, after that i like some of the Lucky Luke stories, Spirou, Blake and Mortimer, Spike and Suzy and i am looking forward to read The Incal when i get time.

@pareekatti 3 жыл бұрын

I also like some of lesser known works of Herge, i read Jo, Zette & Jocko 5 years back thanks to a library nearby, and got some quick and flupke books as well. JZJ is probably the best non Tintin work

@jeritron74 3 жыл бұрын

Great video, Blake and Mortimer is a series l need to get back into. Have you read The Bluecoats? Another great French/Dutch series.

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! And no, I've never heard of The Bluecoats - let me look to see if there are English editions and if they're easily available!

@jeritron74 3 жыл бұрын

@@ftloc Yes they are in English, l have the first twelve volumes. Set in the American civil war, more comedy like asterix than Tintin. Should be easy enough to buy.

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

@@jeritron74 so the search begins! 😀

@jeritron74 3 жыл бұрын

@@ftloc Good luck! Let me know if you are having any issues.

@mingfaiyuen 4 жыл бұрын

bilal's book has been reprinted by titan comics, you can find series of his book from amazon. The beast trilogy which i believe is the same as the nikolpol trilogy has also reprinted by titanin a complete hardcover format. www.amazon.com/s?k=enki+bilal&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Oh, I believe Beast is reprinted as Monster (the first two chapters have the same name). It's a trilogy in four parts, apparently (shades of Douglas Adams there 😋). The Nikopol Trilogy is a separate work from what I can see.

@arungopalviews 4 жыл бұрын

Angshuman, have you read any works of Tillie Walden? Would like to hear from you if you have..

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

I'm a big fan of her comics! I talk a little bit about Spinning in my Shelf Three video and Upon a Sunbeam in one of my recent reads videos. She's definitely going to get a spotlight on of these days; I need to get one or two more books of hers first! 😁

@hridyanshusingh2740 4 жыл бұрын

Sir have you read The adventures of jo,zette and jocko by herge

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

I've only read the Valley of the Cobras as a child and I don't own any of them unfortunately.

@mehernoshtarapore8902 3 жыл бұрын

Where in Mumbai to get good comics so the next I come down to visit my family

@samuels.g.8777 4 жыл бұрын

Great video! Love the comics and can't wait for the next new acquisitions vid! The Enki Bilal comic you have is the "Beast Trilogy" (also called Tetralogy) and is collected in a Humanoids hardcover that seems to be out of print in the US (in Spain it's still available, even in English). Here's the Amazon link if you want to check it out: www.amazon.com/Monster-Enki-Bilal/dp/178586873X?ref_=d6k_applink_bb_marketplace This is one of the best science fiction comics I've read this year and Bilal's art is really good. After checking out more of his stuff ("Animal'z" comic) I'll probably start with Druillet's "Lone Sloane" (which also has very promising art). Brecht Evens, "A Study in Scarlet" and "The Motherless Oven" look very interesting, so I'll have to add them to my tbr. Also, I just read "Three Shadows" by Cyril Pedrosa yesterday and it was amazing, one of the better reads of this year. On a different note, the "Pompeo" comic by Andrea Pazienza has just been published in Spanish (maybe they'll do an English version some day). Have you read any of his work?

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

I'm quite intrigued by Bilal because I've heard so much about him now that is just raves as well as the occasional critique. Thanks for the link. It's a shame about Humanoids books and how quickly they out of print. I guess India gets them mainly from the US, not Europe? because they barely make it over and disappear within weeks, which makes me suspect that only a handful of copies get imported in, if at all. I'm not surprised you loved Three Shadows, that has to be one of my favorite comics of all time, I think...just magnificent. And no, I've never read any Pazienza - I need to look up some books quick! If you get to check out A Study in Scarlet, any Brecht Evens and most especially the Motherless Oven books, be sure to let me know what you thought! 😁

@samuels.g.8777 3 жыл бұрын

@@ftloc Because you said you wanted to look up some books; Flapper Queens by Trina Robbins comes out in a few days and the art looks really nice. It's about women cartoonists in the jazz age (I'm guessing 40s -60s). www.fantagraphics.com/flapper-queens/#/product/3050 Edit: No, it's the 20s

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Oh that looks very interesting! Thanks for the heads up!

@hridyanshusingh2740 4 жыл бұрын

Sir I want to ask one thing that is it only me who feels that TinTin books can be read multiple times and you never get bored what about you do you feel the same

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! If you see the condition of my childhood copies, they are essentially loose pages in a file folder due to the countless times I have reread them! 😋

@jeritron74 3 жыл бұрын

I totally agree. Have read Tintin since childhood and have read all of them countless times. Asterix also.

@hridyanshusingh2740 3 жыл бұрын

Dean Brooks yeah

@KolkatarChhele111 4 жыл бұрын

Also, do check out Sherlock Holmes Manga series greatly adapted from BBC SHERLOCK!

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Ah yes, I think I saw a copy of one of those and it looked like a lot of fun, but I couldn't tell if it brought anything new to the table? As I was saying in another comment here, I'm usually quite fussy about adaptations (which is why I love it when I find great ones) and the reservation I had with the volume I had seen (I think it was a Study in Pink) was that it felt like a shot-by-shot remake of the episode. Would you say it has more going for it?

@ScottPutnamART 4 жыл бұрын

Interested to hear your review on the binal books. I read the nikopol trilogy and monster and was very confused as to what was going on. To the point I had to grind through to the end

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

I've been there with some comics, where it gets to be a slog to get through. And sometimes that can happen in spite of some great 'art', - just the comics part of it doesn't work. I hope that is not the case here, but I can completely understand that possibility!

@ScottPutnamART 4 жыл бұрын

@@ftloc I'm hoping you can make heads or tails of it in your review. Because the art is quite good.

@vellu5000 4 жыл бұрын

While I quite like Bilal the artist, Bilal the writer is another matter. The writing, what little there is, seems intentionally impenetrable and "artsy", to the point of "Well, I quess I’ll just enjoy the pretty pictures then." A major exception is the first part of the Nikopol trilogy, where he attempts a more traditional mode of narrative storytelling. I found it to be quite successful and well worth a read. But I am not in a hurry to return to deciphering the rest of his writings.

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

@@vellu5000 Ooh that sounds like it could go either way. I'm more than willing to concede I'm not smart enough to get a lot of stuff, but I am capable of enjoying things I don;t understand. It's when pretension or self importance overtakes something that I lose joy, and that then becomes a dealbreaker for me.

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

@@ScottPutnamART Haha OK, I'll see what I make of it, you guys have me intrigued now!

@monnezzapromizoulin5169 3 жыл бұрын

If you like franco-belgian comics you should try one of the works of Franquin

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

I'm working on getting my hands on some Spirou, with a little help from friends of the channel! 😁

@monnezzapromizoulin5169 3 жыл бұрын

@@ftloc My personnal favorite is "QRN sur Bretzelburg" ^^!

@tintintechnical2517 3 жыл бұрын

Please make a video on the full collection of Jo-zette-Jocko comic which is one of the famous comic of Herge.please.....

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Ah yes, I've been encouraged to do so on multiple occasions and I'm looking for copies easy to get my hands on! 👍🏾

@tintintechnical2517 3 жыл бұрын

Ok , I am waiting for your video. Thank you so much ❤️

@gedovanderzee1224 4 жыл бұрын

I Love your new acquisitions! Only Blake and Mortimer isnt my cup of tea. The pace is too slow for my taste. Nevertheless enjoy all of your new acquired books!

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, glad you liked it! This ended up being a very pleasing bunch of books, although I suspect I always feel that way! 😋 And yes, the pacing in Blake and Mortimer seems more deliberate for sure. What I liked about the one story I read was how purposeful it felt, every description and setup seemed to have a purpose and reason, and the accumulation of details and steps (like which car was following which one, how they got mixed up, what that led to...) had pleasant rewards later when things were worked out or solved (it was a different road in the dark! The gate was actually open!) Especially for the detection parts of the story I read, at least, it felt satisfying. But of course, as I said, some parts of it did feel a little redundant or spelling things out too much. I'd be interested to see how these stories vary (or don't) from each other, and if the pacing bothers me when there isn't a mystery at their center. Let's see how it goes!

@WilmerKuma 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your great videos! Do you read IDW Teenage mutant ninja turtles?

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! Re: TMNT, I've never read any outside of some crossovers with Usagi Yojimbo. I've just recently ordered the first volume of IDW's reprinting of the original black and white series to see how it all started. Is there any run/volume in the new series you would recommend?

@WilmerKuma 3 жыл бұрын

For the Love of Comics Good to hear, its a good way to start. Otherwise I would really recommend ”Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Idw Collection Volume 1”. Its a great story. Have a nice day!

@mahirchauhan4776 4 жыл бұрын

When you make video please mention price.

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately I buy from all over and at varying prices, which also change and move around a lot, which would make that pretty useless information in my videos, and not really the purpose of making them. I do provide Amazon links in my video description to help gauge whatever the current prices would be.

@mohit9801 4 жыл бұрын

The wrong place by brecht evens is available on amazon for just ₹650 and i am gonna buy it soon

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

I can only see it for 720 but I still feel that's fair enough and I'm sorely tempted! Too bad Panther is nowhere to be found though, I really loved what I saw, although now I think that 'being wonderful' may be common to all of Brecht Evens' work!

@mohit9801 4 жыл бұрын

For the Love of Comics panther is available for 1503 on amazon now

@mehernoshtarapore8902 3 жыл бұрын

If you like blake and Mortimer try Gill Jordan published by fantagraphics 2 books in one

@mehernoshtarapore8902 3 жыл бұрын

Translated into english

@mehernoshtarapore8902 3 жыл бұрын

Gil jordan private detective murder by high tide and ten thousand years in hell maurice tillieux fantagraphics books

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, I mention the Gil Jordan in my previous recent reads video here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a9OfosJnm9qdY4k.html

@hridyanshusingh2740 4 жыл бұрын

Can you please review some other comic stuff by herge

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Have you caught up with all 12 of my Tintin videos (collected in this playlist here: kzfaq.info/sun/PLf2B7UoR9NKW6ok_iGAZlXbe9YUdQWRDP) ? 😁

@hridyanshusingh2740 4 жыл бұрын

For the Love of Comics yes sir

@fanooch1 3 жыл бұрын

Can you upload you live video?

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

It's up, with the live chat as well, here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/odp5fZmWz7HYnmw.html I hope you enjoy it!

@blacksad1287 3 жыл бұрын

As a comics lover may I suggest you to have a look at Hermann works, Hermann is one of the most famous belgian comics creator of these days. You can watch his works in progress on You tube: kzfaq.info?search_query=hermann+at+work

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

I have _Afrika_ , which I picked up at a bookstore on a whim many years ago but I've never run across any other books by him since then! Thanks for the links, these look great!

@mahirchauhan4776 4 жыл бұрын

What is your favorite manga?

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Damn, that's a tough question. Maybe I haven;t read enough bad stuff because I really love almost all of the (few) manga I have read. Lone Wolf and Cub and Akira have both gotten some love on this channel but I've also been captivated by the works of Jiro Taniguichi, loved the horror of Junji Ito, Sunny by Matsumoto was a lovely story, as was Children of the Sea and Bride's Story. On the pulpier side, I've also really enjoyed both Attack on Titan and Death Note.

@mahirchauhan4776 4 жыл бұрын

@@ftloc make video on death note

@OdysseyMichele 4 жыл бұрын

Titan Comics is republishing Bilal's stuffs in the original hardcover format.

@ftloc 4 жыл бұрын

Yes, I just learned that with the link to Monster shared here in another comment! Now to see if they're actually going to be available in India!

@mehernoshtarapore8902 3 жыл бұрын

A bit of old colonial racism in Blake and Mortimer

@ftloc 3 жыл бұрын

Oh really? I haven't encountered anything in the couple I have read so far but I wouldn't be surprised given the milieu, I guess? Are there particular examples you are thinking of that you could share?

@niclaslindman 2 жыл бұрын

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