Commando Caïman

Bruno Brazil #2

by Greg, William Vance (Illustrator)

Un soir, les téléspectateurs ont la surprise de découvrir des images anormales sur leur écran. Immédiatement, Bruno Brazil est convoqué chez le Colonel L car les images apparues sur tous les récepteurs du pays représente une menace terrible... Quelque part dans la jungle d'Amérique du Sud existe un émetteur-pirate d'une puissance inouïe. Le but de ces techniciens clandestins est d'imposer n'importe quoi à des dizaines de millions de spectateurs même, et surtout, à leur insu. Bruno Brazil monte sur le champ le Commando Caïman, en vue de saboter cet émetteur...

Genres: Comics, Thriller, Adventure, Bande Dessinée

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 18, 1969

About the author

Pseudonym of Michel Regnier, who also published as Michel Denys and Louis Albert. He legally changed his name to Michel Greg in 1975.

The series for which Greg is best known, Achille Talon, began in 1963 in Pilote magazine, also the source of comics such as Asterix. Regnier became editor-in-chief of Tintin magazine in 1966 and remained so until 1974. He introduced a more adult genre, with less perfect heroes and more violence. He created some of his most famous series like Bruno Brazil and Bernard Prince in this period, and introduced artists like Hermann to the magazine. In 1975 he became literary director for the French publisher Dargaud and launched Achille Talon magazine.
As "Greg", Regnier was one of the most prolific creators of Franco-Belgian comics, working in all genres and collaborating with many other European artists and scriptwriters. Well known for working with artist Hermann, Greg also worked with André Franquin, Eddy Paape (Luc Orient), Dany, Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny, and many others. It is estimated that he contributed as a writer and an artist to some 250 comic albums.
Hergé asked him to remake two of The Adventures of Tintin — The Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun — into a script for one long animated movie, Tintin and the Temple of the Sun. He also wrote the script for Tintin and the Lake of Sharks.

Reviews

[Zare · Rating 4 out of 5]

After shady organization tries to impose its will through pirate TV signal Bruno Brazil is called to handle the situation. To achieve the goal he creates a team (Commando Caiman) and goes after the criminals.

While there are elements here that are over-the-top at the time this was expected (and might seem outdated now). Team of ragtags no official likes (not unlike dirty dozen), Bruno Brazil as extremely capable team lead encountering crazy villain in the depth of the jungle.

Although use of TV as a hypnotic media might sound preposterous there are elements here that do have footing in reality - constant bombardment of information or suggestions through commercials come to mind, would not you agree - maybe hypnosis would not work on everyone in populace but very large number is susceptible to publicly spun stories.

So, in short story is again very Ludlum-sque but with elements of reality (it was interesting to see exclusion of one team member because he is not fit enough for task and limits to which some team members are ready to go to and casualties taken during the parachute infiltration - all the things that are not so common in comics).

Art as always is excellent, I am very much fan of William Vance's work both here and in XIII series.

Recommended for spy-fiction fans.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jossakin Etelä-Amerikan viidakon kätkössä sijaitsee salainen tukikohta, josta voidaan lähettää televisiovastaanottamiin voimakasta signaalia, jolla voidaan vaikuttaa ihmisten mieliin. Sehän täytyy tuhota! Tehtävä valikoituu Bruno Brazilile ja hänen pienelle iskuryhmälleen.

Luvassa on koko rahan edestä höpsöä seikkailua ja toimintaa, jossa järki ei päätä pakota ja logiikan kanssa on vähän niin ja näin. Lukihan tämän kertaalleen, vaan albumi saa lähteä nyt kiertoon.

[Markku Kesti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ei ollut juoni parantunut vuosikymmenessä.