NEWS APRILE 1999
Ecco la recensione ai numeri 1 e 2 di "Martin Mystery" (la versione
americana di "Martin Mystère") pubblicate nel sito Khepri Comics.
Un ringraziamento
al loro estensore, Brian Scot Johnson, che ha saputo cogliere alcune
caratteristiche tipiche delle serie Bonelli.
MARTIN MYSTERY #1
"Destroyers Of The Past"
Alfredo Castelli (Creator, Writer) - Giancarlo Alessandrini (Artist)
THE HYPE: The second of three Italian series that Dark Horse is releasing
here in the States, Martin Mystery is the Detective of the Impossible. This
first issue sports a Dave Gibbons cover, and deals with an Atlantis
discovery, and the men in black (not Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones) who
want to cover it up.
THE STORY: Martin Mystery and his Neanderthal friend Java uncover a
manuscript that looks to be a map to Atlantis, describing machinations that
made the ancient civilizations more advanced than today's. But will they be
able to explore this new find, or meet their end at the hands of the
mysterious men in all black?
THE WRITING: Like Dylan Dog, the strength of these Italian books seems to
be in the creator / writer. Castelli has a wonderful world at his disposal,
full of colorful characters and exotic locales. Martin Mystery is a
likeable enough lead, and the almost silent Java is a blast. In fact, this
almost seems like a perfect story for a European-style Metamorpho tale
(though Mystery doesn't have power over the Periodic Table...). It's this
sci-fi, archeology, adventure gig that's really a fun romp - Indiana Jones
meets Adam Strange...
THE ARTWORK: The artwork here is inconsistent. At times, it seems very Jim
Aparo, then Keith Giffen, back to Aparo, with some sketchy Joe Kubert-esque
pages thrown in for good measure. But somehow the story is so entrancing
that the ebb and flow of art doesn't detract from the tale - it's only
during a casual flip-through that this seems so blatant.
THE BOTTOM LINE: For readers that are interested in stories before flashy
art, this book, like Dylan Dog last week, is absolutely incredible. It
mixes genres and styles, hearkening back to the fun days of Golden Age
pulps and Silver Age sci-fi. On some week when the usual stack is light,
seek out a Bonelli Comic for something different, and something fun. Grade:
A
MARTIN MYSTERY #2
"The Sword Of King Arthur" (Part 1)
Alfredo Castelli (Writer, Creator) - Giancarlo Alessandrini (Artist)
THE HYPE: MARTIN MYSTERY #2 kicks off the first part of a 2-book story -
that's 200 pages total! This time out, Castelli takes Martin on a quest
that seems all too familiar, but the execution of that quest is bold and
new! This is the story of Excalibur, the fabled sword, and how it was
smuggled away from Hitler and his Nazi brood.
THE STORY: The Heilige Lance. The Spear of Destiny. The Holy Blade.
Excalibur. What ever its name, it is known throughout time and history as a
great source of power, often woven into Christian sermons, Medieval lore,
and Arthurian legend. Martin stumbles across a conspiracy that wrestled
this weapon from the hands of Hitler... but now he has to find the sword
before religious and scientific factions uncover its true - other-worldly -
origins!
THE WRITING: Castelli makes 100 pages a joy to read. This issue is packed
with history and legend, facts and fiction - and he blends that line
between them to perfection, in a way that only fuels the hysteria in the
book. Throw in some action and humor from Java the Neanderthal Man, and
Martin Mystery has plenty of plot elements and supporting characters - all
demanding as much attention as the lead character himself! This reads like
a self-contained story... right up to the cliffhanger ending! More comics
need to read like this, demanding the same amount of time and concentration
as a 2-part X-Files Tv episode.
THE ARTWORK: Like the first issue, Alessandrini runs a little inconsistent.
Some panels seem very Joe Kubert, but other sequences, especially some with
Java, really get rough and sketchy. But even during the bumps, the design
and storytelling are strong... Only the linework on the figures, and maybe
some background detail suffers. Still the narrative laid down by Castelli
picks up any slack, and together they tell a compelling story that links
King Arthur to Hitler to... Martians?
THE BOTTOM LINE: Martin Mystery is an exciting adventurer, who should
appeal to fans of Indiana Jones, Fox Mulder of the X-Files, and Dc Comics'
Metamorpho. It has a real detective / adventure pulp feel, and the
mysteries seem to span the globe. Solid stuff translated from the Italian
originals. Grade: A