Les Bleus tournent cosaques

Les Tuniques Bleues #12

by Raoul Cauvin, Willy Lambil

Le capitaine Stark revient d'une charge avec les survivants. Il se plaint du manque d'effectifs dans la cavalerie. Le gouvernement américain décide de leur envoyer un petit groupe de cosaques et et d'un chinois que le sergent et Blutch, seuls survivants de la cavalerie, auront pour charge de former...

Genres: Bande Dessinée, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Humor, War

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Eponyme · Rating 5 out of 5]

C'était un de mes albums préférés enfant et ça l'est toujours. La critique antimilitariste y est complète et on y voit Blutch dans un de ses super rôles d'anarchiste pacifiste internationaliste, avec quelque chose qu'on reverra souvent par la suite : tout homme qui refuse de faire la guerre obtient sa sympathie, et il n'a pas de mal à générer de la camaraderie avec n'importe qui, même à travers la barrière de la langue.

[Huub · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nog een album om mijn Frans bij te spijkeren. Tres jolie.

[Simon Chadwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bluecoats return with another tale of Chesterfield and Blutch, the 22nd Cavalrymen attempting to survive the American Civil War. On this occasion the cavalry’s numbers are so depleted by deadly charges at the enemy there’s not much of a cavalry left, so Chesterfield and Blutch are appointed as instructors and sent to collect a group of new recruits. Unfortunately, when they arrive at the camp not only are the men not dressed as soldiers, they’re not even aware that that is why they’re there. They’re all recently arrived immigrants looking for work but have somehow been persuaded into the camp. So all Blutch and Chesterfield need to do is convince them to sign up, train them, and lead them into battle for a country that’s not theirs and is busy fighting amongst itself.

The Bluecoats books attempt something you don’t come across in other humour books in that at their core the stories are about the realities of war, the real risk of death or serious injury, and the often unjust consequences two battling sides can bring to everyone in their orbit. In this case it’s about the desperate need for cavalrymen, a need that wouldn’t be required if there wasn’t such a reckless disregard for the lives of those that went before, but it’s also about the willingness to take them from absolutely anywhere just as long as they can be convinced to fight. The most shocking aspect of this, and it’s by no means exclusive to the American Civil War, is that in order to get men to sign up it was often done under false pretences or blatant deception. Once you had their signatures on the sign-up papers those men, and their lives, were yours to do with as you please.

Rather than gloss over this weighty subject we find Blutch and Chesterfield struggling with it, and although they don’t agree on the method, they are both torn by duty and expectations, particularly when it turns out the potential recruits are all gifted riders.

The Bluecoats is often in the shadows of similar books, but it constantly surprises me for its deft scripts handling difficult subjects with humour, and always without sacrificing the gravitas of those situations. They’re worthy of your attention, and for any younger readers who enjoy comics and cartoons.

[Math le maudit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comme souvent dans la série, Lambil et Cauvin partent d'un fait réel : l'incorporation d'émigrants dans l'armée pour pallier les pertes, afin de construire leur histoire.



Comme toujours, la gravité de la guerre est contre-balancée par le burlesque des deux héros. Un bon album.

[Hans Gravekamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Niet bijzonder, maar heel prima album!