By Vance & Van Hamme
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 978-1-84918-093-1
Although we've learnt an awful lot about Jason McLane in the past volumes, his amnesia and his desire to know more about himself, are still what drives the plot forward. Now out of the President's direct service after the last book's dramatic revelations, another shadowy group appear to be taking an interest in XIII. This path takes him to Latin America and a meeting with a priest who insists he knew him before the events that so spectacularly changed his life. What's more, this man of God insists XIII is married, and he's sure because it was he that conducted the service. What's worse, this new woman in XIII's life is awaiting execution in neighbouring Costa Verde. Their meeting is interrupted by gunmen and XIII escapes along with instructions and a disguise to get him to Costa Verde.
Feeling he has little choice if he wants to discover more about himself, XIII adopts the disguise and boards the plane, walking into yet more danger and discovering a familiar face in an unexpected place.
A continuous enjoyment about these books, besides Van Hamme's endlessly inventive scripts, is Vance's magnificent artwork. Whatever the setting wherever in the world, his eye for detail and his cinematic aesthetic draw you straight into the story and the place. You have to applaud his ability to tackle whatever Van Hamme throws at him, be it person, building, vehicle or landscape. It certainly grounds the XIII series with a realism that makes it all the more intriguing and dramatic, and his contribution is a huge reason for the series success. His depiction of Latin America only underscores this.
Ending on a cliffhanger, I'm already eagerly awaiting the next instalment.
And if you liked that: Then don't forget to check out Thorgal, another great Van Hamme's book
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