By Achdér & Gerra
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 9781849181884
Cinebook bring us another modern Lucky Luke tale, expertly crafted in the style of Morris. This time the Dalton brothers have learnt that their prison sentence is being transferred into one of the noose – they’re to be hung. Even Lucky Luke is shocked that it has come to this and so sets off to see what he can do, but it’s the boys’ mum, Ma Dalton, that hatches the inevitable cunning plan to save them from the rope – they need to be married.
By marrying they’re seen to have the responsibilities of a husband and all the entails in a new frontier, but the difficult part is finding anyone foolish enough to get hitched to Joe, William, Jack and Averell. She eventually finds brides on an Indian Reservation, where the marriages could becomee beneficial to all parties even though this latter tying of the knot is only slightly better than the type they were running away from.
Luke takes a back seat for much the book, something that’s easy to do with characters as strong as the Daltons, and it’s only the final act that Luke is required to step in and resolve the mess the brothers have created.
The books by the new creators have to tread a fine line between respecting and celebrating what’s come before without straying too far from the familiar when they offer something new. Their achievements are rather spectacular, retaining the humour and adventure to accomplish a book worthy of its place on the Lucky Luke bookshelf. Lots of characters from past books crop up, which in itself raises a smile, but it’s the gags that really make the book, such as the male warriors from the Flat Heads tribe robbing a bank following direction from the Daltons, and good ol’ Averell once again finding a path that sets him at odds with his brothers.
A sterling accomplishment, and one I’d like to think Morris would soundly approve of.
And if you liked that: Have a read of Iznogoud
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