By Lambil & Cauvin
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 978-1-84918-014-6
It is a tricky task to make humour out of warfare, although not impossible as single panel gag cartoons, editorials and Blackadder Goes Forth prove, but the difference with this book is that the the humour is often drawn from the very battles themselves, not the lulls in-between. But I have to say that Cauvin and Lambil achieve it without ever trivialising and, what's more they endeavour to build in a little sense of history along the way. In this case the Union Army's cavalry has been almost wiped out apart from our heroes Sergeant Chesterfield and Corporal Blutch, and their crazed and dangerous captain, and even this state of affairs doesn't last long when Captain Stark is captured by the Confederates. So when a bizarre gift from French soil arrives in the shape of a hot air balloon it is the now redundant cavalrymen that are tasked to man it as it is raised on a tether to spy on the troops. Much of the humour comes from the army getting to grips with this new and bizarre technology (Will they be able to breathe? How do the communicate?) and there are plenty of slapstick moments too, but what's interesting is that because this is war there are darker moments too (although no blood). The climax comes as they set off to fly, untethered, to the rescue of their captain, which, as you'd expect, doesn't go entirely to plan. I'm quite won over by The Bluecoats series, and feel like I'm learning a thing or two as well, and that can't be a bad thing.
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