Customer Reviews

The Black Order Brigade

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The old wounds of Europe reopen: geriatric fascists last seen in the 1930s hobble lethally into the late 20th century, settling old scores and detonating bombs to teach a new "decadent" generation the meaning of order. Who better to stop them than another group of old timers--former members of the International Brigades from the Spanish Civil War, reunited for a final battle of bullets and principles.

This is a serious graphic novel with high ambitions. In a couple of respects it manages brilliantly. The artwork by Enki Bilal is exquisitely nuanced; his line finds dignity and pain in these old faces, and like them his Europe is beautiful and decayed. Author Pierre Christin's story has the satisfying weight of verisimilitude--and thematically he really gets what has to be here for this tale to work: the bitter intercourse of the past and the present.

Flaws? Christin's large, mostly uninteresting cast is populated by Hollywood cut-outs (think a left-wing "Dirty Dozen," bereft of the charm). Though its intricacies and sweep are compelling, the plotting isn't above an occasional cheat. And for a presumed critique of zealotry, the book is maybe too fond of its zealots. That said, there's enough here to recommend The Black Order Brigade as a cautionary tale about the price of belief--and fighting fire with fire. It's just not the dramatic equal of either its social intelligence or its ravishing artwork.

I can proudly say this is the toast of my graphic novel collection. In fact, I think this book defines the term "graphic novel". In its 78 pages, it spins itself like a true novel, with rich characterizations and complex set-pieces. True, there are lots of dialogues and voice-overs, but they never drag the story down. The story I won't reveal, but it reminded me of the Sam Peckinpah film "The Wild Bunch" in that the main protagonists are a bunch of men( and one woman ) well past their prime who assemble for one last job. Only, the job here is eliminating a bunch of equally old Fascist mercenaries. The bottom line is: If you are an admirer of mature graphic novels, buy this book. If not, stick to "X-Men".