By Dorison & Lauffray
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 9781849181051
There aren't many graphic novels out there that evoke a truly cinematic quality, but this is certainly one of them. That's partly due to the powerful presence of the title character, but most of the credit must go to the thoughtful pacing of the story, the strength of the dialogue and drama of the illustrations. The cover alone is an eerie and brooding affair that perfectly sets the tone for the pages to come.
Silver has instigated mutiny but lost the map that points them to Lord Byron Hastings and the riches of Guiana-Capac. Having out-ridden the storm the ship is damaged and taking on water and the crew are unsure of Silver or what to do next, but they are alongside land even if that land is a treacherous coast of jagged rocks and precipitous cliffs. They run the risk of sinking before they can make land safely, so when the local native Mox points to a fissure in the rocks Silver takes advantage of the situation and plunges the ship into the tumultuous channel. He succeeds, bringing them through the rocks to a river channel snaking deep into the Amazon. The euphoria of the passage buoys the crew up and buys Silver time to begin the passage upstream towards Guiana-Capac.
It's menacing and edgy page after page, and once they're deep into the rainforest the scale brings to mind Skull Island and all that that entails, so when they reach their destination you're all but ready for a giant ape to break through the foliage. Instead the threat manifests itself in rather a different way.
This is a rock-solid series by two visionaries who deserve your attention. Book of the month, I reckon.
And if you liked that: Book 4 is on its way…
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