By Peyo, with backgrounds by Will
Publisher: Papercutz
ISBN: 978-1-597-07-409-4
Can’t say I’ve heard of Benny Breakiron before, but perhaps that’s because he remained very much in the shadow of Peyo’s other creation, the Smurfs.
Like many of the characters from our own classic British kids’ comics, this is about a child with an exceptional but unexplained gift – you just except the quirk and roll along with the story. In Benny Breakiron’s case it’s superhuman strength, speed and the ability to jump rather high. Sort of Superman in miniature.
This could be a tale written and illustrated last week but for the fact that a two-way radio in a car is talked about with awe. Benny actually hails from 1962. The excitement about the two-way radio goes hand-in-hand with the emergence of a new taxi company in the town, utilising modern cars and sadly threatening to put Monsieur Dussiflard’s sad old taxi out of service. Benny witnesses some rum treatment of Dussiflard by one of the red taxi drivers and, unnoticed, takes action, only for the following day to find Dussiflard’s taxi vandalised.
They make for the red taxi offices to challenge the owner only to be charmed and eventually persuaded that all will be rectified – this is until Dussiflard later realises he’s left his hat behind and overhears the real reason for the taxi’s existence in their community, resulting in his kidnapping when he’s discovered. It’s up to Benny to find out what’s happened to him and to secure some sort of rescue.
Like with Superman, Benny has his version of kryptonite. If he catches a cold his super-strength deserts him leaving him just like any other boy, and naturally he catches that cold just when he needs his abilities the most.
This isn’t at all like the Smurfs, which is perhaps to its advantage, as it instead focuses on a solid little mystery and the heroism of one little boy. The outwitting of a group of taxi drivers who pursue Benny into a small park is really nicely done, and although the book lacks the wit of a Goscinny strip it’s still amusing.
I was pleasantly surprised by it, and I’ll definitely be picking up book 2, Madame Adolphine, when it becomes available soon.
And if you liked that: You should also enjoy Clifton, the adventures of British secret agent, published by Cinebook.
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