By Giraud and Van Hamme
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 9781849181457
Well, you expect a surprise or two from a XIII book, but I wasn't expecting a different artist. Giraud, also known as Moebius, has taken up the artistic chores on this flashback episode, and what a fantastic job he does too. The Irish Version pieces together many of the disparate elements of XIII's fractured life, mostly through the eyes of a college friend with IRA connections, and there's plenty of the tale beautifully depicted in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The adventure opens from a very different view point and with no explanation of the set up, but it draws you straight into the bitter history of Northern Ireland. As the story unfolds your sympathies are tested by the actions of the protagonists, and Van Hamme expertly exploits them to lead you down the narrative path, culminating in (finally) a definitive history of XIII's early years, denied to him up until now, and us, through his amnesia.
A few more eyebrow-raising moments, some daring escapes, plots, intrigue, love and some answers, not to mention some terrific artwork, make for one of the best XIII's so far – but don't start here! If you're intrigued, you need to start at the beginning.
A penultimate issue that sets us up superbly for what promises to be a revealing and rewarding conclusion.
And if you led that: You'd be a fool to miss the end!
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