By Van Hamme & Berthet
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 9781800441170
The disparate parts of the future fortune of Largo Winch are rapidly coming together, thanks to the cunning, shrewdness, and, occasionally, downright underhandedness of Nerio. But while he’s taking advantage of every situation in the US to bolster his position and his wealth, a very different story is taking place in Europe.
Tito’s regime is bad news for an Jovan and Aliana. With a new daughter, Danitza, only just arrived, Jovan’s outspokenness on Tito’s methods lead him into direct conflict with state security. Jovan is taken into custody and Aliana and her child, following an attempted rape, are forced on the run. A further tragic encounter pushes them into effectual slavery, made worse by the knowledge that Jovan has been killed. Aliana must attempt to raise Danitza as best she can.
Back in the states, Nerio has everything but an heir. He places his hopes on family blood back in Europe, but that means braving the Balkans war.
We know the Nerio adopts Largo from the very first Largo Winch book, and how he finds the child is laid out here in all its detail. For every success and piece of good fortune that Nerio experiences, his distant family are served a bleak and unpalatable time again and again. There’s little honour and a tremendous amount of tragedy, but it’s gripping stuff.
You don’t need to have read the Largo Winch books to enjoy this at all, but naturally it’s going to add something significant to the experience. Philippe Berthet’s art, coupled with Mado’s colours, are stylistically much simpler to the Largo Winch adventures – but fit the story perfectly. There’s something almost Hergé about them.
What really holds it all together is Van Hamme’s script. He deftly weaves world politics, industrial slight-of-hand, big finance and grubby human narratives into a believable story that, despite its complexity, is possible to follow without getting lost. Admirable work and a great read.
And if you liked that: Jump in and start Largo Winch all over again.
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