Lessons of Darkness

IAN #2

by Fabien Vehlmann, Ralph Meyer (Contributor)

While the members of team 21 are enjoying a night off together in Los Angeles, a terrorist group manipulated by a nihilist billionaire triggers a bloody riot downtown. Ian and the other SRS agents are ordered to secure a highly exclusive mall and its wealthy customers - ignoring any danger to the rest of the population. A decision that is not at all to Ian's taste, as his programming is quite clear: help others.

Genres: Comics, Bande Dessinée

56 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Usually uses the pseudonym Vehlmann

Fabien Vehlmann est comme son héros : pétillant, engagé et plein d'humour.

Après avoir patiemment suivi les cours d'une école de commerce nantaise, Fabien Vehlmann réalise que sa voie est ailleurs. Bien décidé à se lancer dans la bande dessinée, il se consacre à l'écriture de manière intensive durant une année entière. Il empile les projets et inonde scrupuleusement la rédaction du journal Spirou. Sa ténacité est récompensée : il y fait ses débuts dans le courant de l'année 1998. Dans les pages du beau journal, il apprend son métier en scénarisant des animations, puis ses premières séries dont le fameux "Green Manor" avec Denis Bodart.

Curieux et enthousiaste, Vehlmann touche à tous les genres : humour, science-fiction, aventure, conte,... Il multiplie les collaborations avec des dessinateurs aux styles aussi divers que Matthieu Bonhomme ("Le Marquis d'Anaon"), Frantz Duchazeau ("Les Cinq conteurs de Bagdad") ou Bruno Gazzotti ("Seuls"). En 2006, il réalise une première aventure de Spirou et Fantasio avec Yoann : "Les Géants Pétrifiés". Quatre ans plus tard, les deux compères reprennent en main la destinée du plus célèbre héros des Editions Dupuis...

Les albums de Spirou qu'il emmènerait sur une île déserte : Le Nid des Marsupilamis, Le Voyageur du Mésozoïque et Virus.

Source: http://www.dupuis.com/catalogue/FR/au...

Reviews

[Simon Chadwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

IAN now appears to be accepted with the team, although that still makes for some awkward moments as perceptions and assumptions are challenged. The team is visiting LA, and no sooner do they arrive than a massive civil disturbance erupts. Fortuitously, the team can be scrambled in moments, but the problem is far bigger than their numbers can cope with. That means making tough decisions to complete their directive, and it’s a contradiction that IAN struggles with, to the point of insubordination. Something very strange is happening to this unique android.

IAN is an exploration of what it means to be alive and to be human. Although this is an increasingly common currency in science fiction the creators of IAN attempt to take a different path. IAN’s motivations and intentions appear to be pure, even if the role is he given can be a bloody and violent one. There is a flaw in IAN’s processing, and here we get a brief glimpse of what that means.

The artwork is very crisp and clean, and with its depictions of future LA architecture, I was reminded of the likes of Dave Gibbons, as well as 1980s’ 2000AD with its block wars. The creators are laying the foundations for something unusual, so it will be interesting to see if they can pull it off.

[Ian M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed it.

This speeds thru at a good pace with a good intro as well. Everything about this is respectable, and I hope to be reading the next few soon. I think the action in the first one left quite an impression because I remembered the characters from that one going in. I thought this one ended abruptly, but I'll have to read the next one...very impressionable.