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Ad Astra: Scipio to Hannibal #1
Ad Astra - Scipion l'Africain & Hannibal Barca, tome 1
Sicile, 241 avant J.-C. Après deux décennies de conflit avec Rome, l’armée carthaginoise menée par Hamilcar Barca doit concéder la défaite. Son fils, Hannibal, a six ans quand il assiste à cette bataille. Mise en déroute, Carthage doit un tribut astronomique au vainqueur, et l’enfant assiste à l’humiliation des siens. mais le jeune Hannibal refuse l’échec : alors qu’il n’a encore que 27 ans, il décide de déchaîner son peuple contre Rome. Commence alors l’affrontement exceptionnel d’un des plus grands tacticiens militaires de l’histoire et de son alter ego romain, le génie stratégique Scipion l’Africain. Traversée des Alpes à dos d’éléphant, ballet mortel d’escarmouches et de pillages dans les plaines d’Italie, stratagèmes guerriers inouïs et batailles parmi les plus sanglantes de mémoire d’homme...
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 19, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 18, 2016
From the cover, I hadn't expected this manga to be good. The art did promise to be excellent, but the storyline was the point worrying me, for this isn't a period I'm used to seeing good HF for.
And, to be honest, the beginning didn't assuage my fears at all. On the contrary, the mysticism surrounding the birth of Hannibal Barca and the story of how he was saved just in time from being made a sacrifice to Baal was close to putting me off the book for good. But I persisted, even though the incident in which little Hannibal causes an uproar at the meeting of the Carthaginian senate and the Roman ambassadors (amongst which was Scipio, father of Scipio Africanus) was very much cementing my ambivalent first impression. But, as this volume collects half a dozen "chapters" (episodes), there was still more to come, so I went on to the next and it finally got me interested and kept my interest throughout.
The plot is basically the whole Second Punic War between the powerful city-states of Rome and Carthage that lasted near two decades, from 218 B.C. to 201 B.C. But instead of an abstract conflict with several protagonists per episode, author Mihachi Kagano opted for making this the story of two men destined to either save or destroy their respective republics: Carthaginian nobleman Hannibal Barca, son of general Hamilcar Barca of First Punic War fame, and Roman patrician Publius Cornelius Scipio, son of the consul with the same name and to be known forever as Scipio Africanus. Both youngsters are determined to lead their countries to victory over the other, and fortunately for each side, both are equally superb leaders and evenly-matched genius strategists like we don't often see in history, which makes the war last longer, be harder fought and more unpredictable.
Despite the wee sprinkling of a bit of mysticism, which in the end does fit in a world so attached to believing in supernatural influences and omens, and a few liberties here and there, Kagano has stayed within what's supported by historical sources. I appreciated that at the end of each episode the author included the sources, with quotes and excerpts, for the readers to see where the story is true to facts and where the artistic deviations are. From these, we learn that the plot of Ad Astra follows the accounts of Polybius of Megalopolis in his Histories and Titus Livius (a.k.a. Livy) in his History of Rome, which are the primary sources we have for the Second Punic War, because unfortunately there are no surviving Carthaginian records since the chronicles of Hannibal's secretary Silenus disappeared and Scipio's memories were either destroyed or lost as well, and neither has the biography of Scipio Africanus by Plutarch that was part of his Lives survived for our benefit. For those familiar with the history of the Punic Wars, this level of accuracy will surely be welcome even if it may read a bit too familiar, although the little artistic licences might help in making this not so predictable, not to mention it's always interesting to see these known facts illustrated.
The art is beautiful, too. It's all in black in white save for the lovely covers, and follows a somewhat Westernised manga style, not realistic exactly but not too cartoonish either. The artist deserves praise for making sure the armour and weaponry of the Romans are true to the period, because there's too many out there that simply go for the more known uniforms and weaponry of the late republic/early empire regardless, which is very different to the ones from the Punic Wars. Same for the Carthaginians, who followed a Hellenistic style at the time. As for how the characters are drawn, Hannibal is pretty much as he should've been, a bearded brunet. I smiled in recognition at seeing that Kagano had gone for depicting Scipio as an Hellenised boy, with long flowing hair, a no-no for Romans, which is accurate because one of the things Scipio was criticised for by his opponents in his lifetime was his Greek ways and following Greek fashions in his appearance, and that was seen as unmanly and un-Roman by his enemies at home.
As would be, the storytelling is heavily action-centric and most of the plot revolves round battles and skirmishes, so don't expect a slow pace and not many non-political/non-fighting scenes for now. The story in the first volume concludes with these two men seeing each other for the first time at the Battle of Ticinus, when the troops commanded by Scipio Sr. came face to face with Hannibal's men just coming out of their harrowing crossing of the Alps. In that battle, Hannibal once more demonstrates his genius, but the scene is also the time when Scipio Jr. can demonstrate to Daddy what he's worth, and the way the last scene is laid out is like a silent promise that next time these two find each other, the world will come down in flames. A nice way to make the reader wish to read more; I, for one, definitely will despite knowing how this ends.
And, to be honest, the beginning didn't assuage my fears at all. On the contrary, the mysticism surrounding the birth of Hannibal Barca and the story of how he was saved just in time from being made a sacrifice to Baal was close to putting me off the book for good. But I persisted, even though the incident in which little Hannibal causes an uproar at the meeting of the Carthaginian senate and the Roman ambassadors (amongst which was Scipio, father of Scipio Africanus) was very much cementing my ambivalent first impression. But, as this volume collects half a dozen "chapters" (episodes), there was still more to come, so I went on to the next and it finally got me interested and kept my interest throughout.
The plot is basically the whole Second Punic War between the powerful city-states of Rome and Carthage that lasted near two decades, from 218 B.C. to 201 B.C. But instead of an abstract conflict with several protagonists per episode, author Mihachi Kagano opted for making this the story of two men destined to either save or destroy their respective republics: Carthaginian nobleman Hannibal Barca, son of general Hamilcar Barca of First Punic War fame, and Roman patrician Publius Cornelius Scipio, son of the consul with the same name and to be known forever as Scipio Africanus. Both youngsters are determined to lead their countries to victory over the other, and fortunately for each side, both are equally superb leaders and evenly-matched genius strategists like we don't often see in history, which makes the war last longer, be harder fought and more unpredictable.
Despite the wee sprinkling of a bit of mysticism, which in the end does fit in a world so attached to believing in supernatural influences and omens, and a few liberties here and there, Kagano has stayed within what's supported by historical sources. I appreciated that at the end of each episode the author included the sources, with quotes and excerpts, for the readers to see where the story is true to facts and where the artistic deviations are. From these, we learn that the plot of Ad Astra follows the accounts of Polybius of Megalopolis in his Histories and Titus Livius (a.k.a. Livy) in his History of Rome, which are the primary sources we have for the Second Punic War, because unfortunately there are no surviving Carthaginian records since the chronicles of Hannibal's secretary Silenus disappeared and Scipio's memories were either destroyed or lost as well, and neither has the biography of Scipio Africanus by Plutarch that was part of his Lives survived for our benefit. For those familiar with the history of the Punic Wars, this level of accuracy will surely be welcome even if it may read a bit too familiar, although the little artistic licences might help in making this not so predictable, not to mention it's always interesting to see these known facts illustrated.
The art is beautiful, too. It's all in black in white save for the lovely covers, and follows a somewhat Westernised manga style, not realistic exactly but not too cartoonish either. The artist deserves praise for making sure the armour and weaponry of the Romans are true to the period, because there's too many out there that simply go for the more known uniforms and weaponry of the late republic/early empire regardless, which is very different to the ones from the Punic Wars. Same for the Carthaginians, who followed a Hellenistic style at the time. As for how the characters are drawn, Hannibal is pretty much as he should've been, a bearded brunet. I smiled in recognition at seeing that Kagano had gone for depicting Scipio as an Hellenised boy, with long flowing hair, a no-no for Romans, which is accurate because one of the things Scipio was criticised for by his opponents in his lifetime was his Greek ways and following Greek fashions in his appearance, and that was seen as unmanly and un-Roman by his enemies at home.
As would be, the storytelling is heavily action-centric and most of the plot revolves round battles and skirmishes, so don't expect a slow pace and not many non-political/non-fighting scenes for now. The story in the first volume concludes with these two men seeing each other for the first time at the Battle of Ticinus, when the troops commanded by Scipio Sr. came face to face with Hannibal's men just coming out of their harrowing crossing of the Alps. In that battle, Hannibal once more demonstrates his genius, but the scene is also the time when Scipio Jr. can demonstrate to Daddy what he's worth, and the way the last scene is laid out is like a silent promise that next time these two find each other, the world will come down in flames. A nice way to make the reader wish to read more; I, for one, definitely will despite knowing how this ends.
July 18, 2018
قصة هنعل او حنعل الرجل الاقرطاجي الذي هدد الامبراطورية الرومانية في عزها و وصل الى قريب عاصمتها في حربه
February 5, 2024
Great historical manga set during the Second Punic War with Hannibal Barca and Scipion as the protagonists. Despite the interference of your typical japanese projection and anime thing from time to time, this manga shows the incredible potential of the historical genre.
March 23, 2019
Otro manga que, por el momento, no puedo ser enteramente objetiva ya que hace algunos años que conozco este manga y me enamoré de él porque trata una de las guerras que más me gustan y conozco de la antigüedad: la segunda guerra Púnica.
Si bien el autor se toma bastantes licencias y se pasa por el forro el Tratado del Ebro (226 a.c) entre romanos y cartagineses, en general este primer tomo (y los siguientes) están bien documentados.
El manga en sí se centra en los dos personajes clave de este conflicto: Hannibal Barca y Publio Cornelio Escipión (el que será el Africano al derrotar a los cartagineses en la batalla de Zama).
El primer tomo es la introducción del conflicto y de los dos protagonistas así como otros personajes relevantes en los sucesos.
El dibujo del autor es una delicia, muy detallado y con expresiones faciales muy vívidas que transmiten los sentimientos de los personajes. También las escenas de batallas son espectaculars.
No puedo más que darle la máxima puntuación a la espera de seguir leyendo esta historia.
Si bien el autor se toma bastantes licencias y se pasa por el forro el Tratado del Ebro (226 a.c) entre romanos y cartagineses, en general este primer tomo (y los siguientes) están bien documentados.
El manga en sí se centra en los dos personajes clave de este conflicto: Hannibal Barca y Publio Cornelio Escipión (el que será el Africano al derrotar a los cartagineses en la batalla de Zama).
El primer tomo es la introducción del conflicto y de los dos protagonistas así como otros personajes relevantes en los sucesos.
El dibujo del autor es una delicia, muy detallado y con expresiones faciales muy vívidas que transmiten los sentimientos de los personajes. También las escenas de batallas son espectaculars.
No puedo más que darle la máxima puntuación a la espera de seguir leyendo esta historia.
August 16, 2025
(Review for the whole serie)
A great retelling of the second punic war, mostly from the perspective of Scipio Africanus. Following his journey across 16 years of constant war is captivating, as the clash of great minds translate into dead soldiers by the thousands. The stakes are always high, and the conflicts feel real. Hannibal feels like an unstoppable genius, but it doesn't belittle the many generals who go against him. Discovering the gallery of romans who will try to match him in wit is a real engine for that story.
As much as I respect the incredible work put in to represent the armies and location, I feel like the shortcuts taken are sometimes too visible. Plain tables, empty rooms, 3D models of plates or fruits, re-used roman camps over and over... The strings surely were neccessary to tell that story, but they are too visible.
A great retelling of the second punic war, mostly from the perspective of Scipio Africanus. Following his journey across 16 years of constant war is captivating, as the clash of great minds translate into dead soldiers by the thousands. The stakes are always high, and the conflicts feel real. Hannibal feels like an unstoppable genius, but it doesn't belittle the many generals who go against him. Discovering the gallery of romans who will try to match him in wit is a real engine for that story.
As much as I respect the incredible work put in to represent the armies and location, I feel like the shortcuts taken are sometimes too visible. Plain tables, empty rooms, 3D models of plates or fruits, re-used roman camps over and over... The strings surely were neccessary to tell that story, but they are too visible.
March 14, 2021
Ce premier tome semble mettre en place la situation historique et les personnages principaux de cette seconde guerre punique.
Nous suivons donc Hannibal qui apparaît comme un homme rusé et malin avec un grand sens de la stratégie. Il fait face au jeune Scipion pour l'instant plutôt subalterne dans l'armée romain et dont le père est le chef de l'armée romaine. Il apparaît comme un jeune homme audacieux et doué dans l'analyse des situations.
L'essentiel de l'action se déroule dans le sud de la France. On croise d'ailleurs Brennus. Après cette mise en bouche, je suis impatiente de découvrir la suite.
Nous suivons donc Hannibal qui apparaît comme un homme rusé et malin avec un grand sens de la stratégie. Il fait face au jeune Scipion pour l'instant plutôt subalterne dans l'armée romain et dont le père est le chef de l'armée romaine. Il apparaît comme un jeune homme audacieux et doué dans l'analyse des situations.
L'essentiel de l'action se déroule dans le sud de la France. On croise d'ailleurs Brennus. Après cette mise en bouche, je suis impatiente de découvrir la suite.
March 25, 2020
Ho appena finito il primo volume di "Ad astra" e la cosa che mi ha colpito più di tutte è la straordinaria precisione e fedeltà storica.
Solo le prime pagine mostrano un po' di magia, quel tocco minimo e necessario per rendere Annibale Barca il grande generale e tattico che è stato.
Solo le prime pagine mostrano un po' di magia, quel tocco minimo e necessario per rendere Annibale Barca il grande generale e tattico che è stato.
May 2, 2021
One of the best military/war type manga/anime’s I’ve read! Most I’ve seen are like boring like nowadays wars with tanks and guns;This is like old “historical” wars 🐴⚔️🛡🏇
December 25, 2025
Take this as a review for the whole manga series, all the 81 chapters.
This was excellent. I hope one day it gets an anime adaptation and an official translation overseas.
Great work here.
This was excellent. I hope one day it gets an anime adaptation and an official translation overseas.
Great work here.
February 5, 2018
Ad Astra nous offre un intéressant manga historique qui traite d’un moment clé de l’histoire de la République Romaine. Si le récit est un peu lent (il s’étend sur une douzaine de volumes et plus!) il demeure assez détaillé et fidèle au événements qui nous sont connu. Le récit semble très bien documenté et ne fait pas seulement de nous présenter l’action mais en explique le contexte et les conséquences. Toutefois, comme dans tout roman historique, l’auteur introduit quelques personnages, événements et éléments narratifs (comme des dialogues et la motivation des protagonistes) qui sont évidemment fictifs, afin de rendre le récit plus riche et captivant. Au bout du compte, il s’agit du récit d’un duel entre deux grands tacticiens qui mettront leur bravoure et leurs brillantes stratégies au service de leur patrie respective.
Ma seule déception est que le style de Mihachi KAGANO, tout aussi précis et réaliste qu’il soit, manque l’élégance de celui de Soryo Fuyumi (Cesare) ou de Mari Yamazaki (Thermae Romae, Pline). Serait-ce que les femmes mangaka réussissent à exprimer une plus grande sensibilité? Par contre, Kagano réussi très bien à rendre l’action et la violence des combats sur le champs de bataille…
Plus que jamais, je crois qu’il n’y a rien comme un manga historique pour nous faire se passionner pour l’histoire. Riche en détails, Ad Astra nous fait découvrir la société romaine à l’époque de la République mais aussi certains aspects de son processus politique et du fonctionnement de l’armée. C’est un bon récit d’action qui mérite d’être lu — et pas seulement par les fans d’histoire romaine.
Voir mon commentaire complet sur https://clodjee-blog.com/2018/02/04/a...
Ma seule déception est que le style de Mihachi KAGANO, tout aussi précis et réaliste qu’il soit, manque l’élégance de celui de Soryo Fuyumi (Cesare) ou de Mari Yamazaki (Thermae Romae, Pline). Serait-ce que les femmes mangaka réussissent à exprimer une plus grande sensibilité? Par contre, Kagano réussi très bien à rendre l’action et la violence des combats sur le champs de bataille…
Plus que jamais, je crois qu’il n’y a rien comme un manga historique pour nous faire se passionner pour l’histoire. Riche en détails, Ad Astra nous fait découvrir la société romaine à l’époque de la République mais aussi certains aspects de son processus politique et du fonctionnement de l’armée. C’est un bon récit d’action qui mérite d’être lu — et pas seulement par les fans d’histoire romaine.
Voir mon commentaire complet sur https://clodjee-blog.com/2018/02/04/a...
November 20, 2021
一邊讀本書，一邊緬懷好玩但2019年2月要收掉的遊戲——全軍破敵：競技場
本書愛用別人驚訝的表情來凸顯出主角的強大
氣氛營造的不錯
但本書的最後中斷的地方過於突然
話說西庇阿跟漢尼拔恰巧是遊戲裡的13個指揮官中勝率最低的那2個
本書愛用別人驚訝的表情來凸顯出主角的強大
氣氛營造的不錯
但本書的最後中斷的地方過於突然
話說西庇阿跟漢尼拔恰巧是遊戲裡的13個指揮官中勝率最低的那2個
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews