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Ghost Money #1-5
Ghost Money
Bliska budućnost... najnaprednija tehnologija... poznati politički akteri...
Dvadeset godina nakon napada 11. rujna zaranjamo u špijunski triler u kojem mutne sile sa zastrašujućim motivima manipuliraju, nadziru i uhode kako bi usmjerile povijest u svoju korist, ne mareći pritom za kolateralne žrtve.
Mlada studentica Lindsey iz Londona igrom slučaja upoznaje milijarderku Šamzu, koja je uvodi u superluksuzni svijet arapskih poslovnih i intelektualnih krugova. Budući da Šamzu u stopu prate privatne američke obavještajne službe koje žele saznati kamo je nestalo legendarno Al Qaidino blago – trideset milijardi dolara zarađenih burzovnim mešetarenjem uoči napada 11. rujna – Lindsey će se odjednom zateći u srcu opasne intrige iz koje neće biti lako izvući živu glavu!
Integral sadrži sljedeća originaln izdanja:
1. Dama iz Dubaija - La Dame de Dubaï (Dargaud, 22. 08. 2008.)
2. Šamzine oči - Les Yeux de Chamza (Dargaud, 22. 01. 2010.)
3. Umri u Dubaiju! - Mourir à Dubaï (Dargaud, 17. 06. 2011.)
4. Taškitski zatvorenik - La Prisonnière tashkite (Dargaud, 21. 06. 2013.)
5. Crni oblak - Le Black Cloud (Dargaud, 08. 01. 2016.)
Dvadeset godina nakon napada 11. rujna zaranjamo u špijunski triler u kojem mutne sile sa zastrašujućim motivima manipuliraju, nadziru i uhode kako bi usmjerile povijest u svoju korist, ne mareći pritom za kolateralne žrtve.
Mlada studentica Lindsey iz Londona igrom slučaja upoznaje milijarderku Šamzu, koja je uvodi u superluksuzni svijet arapskih poslovnih i intelektualnih krugova. Budući da Šamzu u stopu prate privatne američke obavještajne službe koje žele saznati kamo je nestalo legendarno Al Qaidino blago – trideset milijardi dolara zarađenih burzovnim mešetarenjem uoči napada 11. rujna – Lindsey će se odjednom zateći u srcu opasne intrige iz koje neće biti lako izvući živu glavu!
Integral sadrži sljedeća originaln izdanja:
1. Dama iz Dubaija - La Dame de Dubaï (Dargaud, 22. 08. 2008.)
2. Šamzine oči - Les Yeux de Chamza (Dargaud, 22. 01. 2010.)
3. Umri u Dubaiju! - Mourir à Dubaï (Dargaud, 17. 06. 2011.)
4. Taškitski zatvorenik - La Prisonnière tashkite (Dargaud, 21. 06. 2013.)
5. Crni oblak - Le Black Cloud (Dargaud, 08. 01. 2016.)
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2017
2 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Thierry Smolderen
68 books15 followersThierry Smolderen (born 25 November 1954) is an essay writer, as well as a script writer of Belgian comic strips.
Smolderen is a teacher at École des Beaux-Arts of Angoulême, France. As a comic books historian, he wrote Naissances de la bande dessinée (2009), about the "platinum age" of comics. This book has been published in English by the University Press of Mississippi in 2014, under the title The Origins of Comics: From William Hogarth to Winsor McCay (Eisner Award nominee of 2015 in the Best Scholarly/Academic Work category).
Smolderen is a teacher at École des Beaux-Arts of Angoulême, France. As a comic books historian, he wrote Naissances de la bande dessinée (2009), about the "platinum age" of comics. This book has been published in English by the University Press of Mississippi in 2014, under the title The Origins of Comics: From William Hogarth to Winsor McCay (Eisner Award nominee of 2015 in the Best Scholarly/Academic Work category).
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 29, 2018
Set in the near future, a normal world gets scooped up into an international conspiracy when she befriends a young woman with an obscene amount of money gained under mysterious circumstances. The Americans think it was generated in the stock market on 9/11 by Al-Queda and will do anything to prove it including falsifying evidence. Dominique Bertail's art is extremely detailed reminding me of Frank Quitely. My only problem with it was the obscene amount of panels sometimes on a page. The panels would be so small I couldn't see what has happening in them.
Received an advance copy from Lion Forge and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received an advance copy from Lion Forge and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
June 21, 2018
While the spy thriller/political intrigue genre is not my usual go-to subject, this turned out to be a very intriguing read all be it a lengthy (260 pages) one for sure. The artwork was beautiful and very detailed. I wished there would have been a bit more of the (mostly unrequited) love between Lindsey and Chamza.
Intriguing characters and plotlines intertwine in a near-future political thriller drawing on contemporary world events and actual growing technology contributing to a cyberwar in both reality and virtual reality. When Lindsey, a young student in London, is rescued from a riot by Chamza, a young woman from the Arab world, they begin a relationship based on both fascination and convenience. Before she knows it, Lindsey is drawn into a world of vast wealth and intrigue; her new friend seems to have ties to political movements and revolutionaries throughout the Islamic world, but it is not clear what their agenda might be, or where her great wealth comes from. Could it be the fabled legendary lost treasure of Al-Qaeda, supposedly amassed through insider trading prior to 9/11? Unbeknownst to either Lindsey or Chamza, a set of US contractors, all veterans of war in Iraq and the CIA's rendition program, are focusing their sites on Chamza, believing her wealth is indeed the key to a larger threat to the entire world economy. The series looks at surveillance, clandestine military action, and class warfare in the twilight of the current War on Terror, all within the context of a thriller that ultimately seeks to find out what controls the global economy.
This was in fact not 1 but all 5 Ghost Money volumes in one:
Ghost Money Vol 1: Death in Dubai
Ghost Money Vol 2: The Eyes of Chamza
Ghost Money Vol 3: Death in Dubai
Ghost Money Vol 4: The Tashkent Prisoner
Ghost Money Vol 5: The Black Cloud
m/f
Themes: Bi Lindsey pines for straight Chamza who is pining for a dude, 9/11, the war on terror, al-Qaeda's treasure, CIA spies, my brain got a bit fuzzy with all the political cloak and dagger shite, the artwork kept me going though, I would need to read it again to get all of it… but not today ;-)
4 stars
* I received this ARC from NetGalley in return for a honest review.
Intriguing characters and plotlines intertwine in a near-future political thriller drawing on contemporary world events and actual growing technology contributing to a cyberwar in both reality and virtual reality. When Lindsey, a young student in London, is rescued from a riot by Chamza, a young woman from the Arab world, they begin a relationship based on both fascination and convenience. Before she knows it, Lindsey is drawn into a world of vast wealth and intrigue; her new friend seems to have ties to political movements and revolutionaries throughout the Islamic world, but it is not clear what their agenda might be, or where her great wealth comes from. Could it be the fabled legendary lost treasure of Al-Qaeda, supposedly amassed through insider trading prior to 9/11? Unbeknownst to either Lindsey or Chamza, a set of US contractors, all veterans of war in Iraq and the CIA's rendition program, are focusing their sites on Chamza, believing her wealth is indeed the key to a larger threat to the entire world economy. The series looks at surveillance, clandestine military action, and class warfare in the twilight of the current War on Terror, all within the context of a thriller that ultimately seeks to find out what controls the global economy.
This was in fact not 1 but all 5 Ghost Money volumes in one:
Ghost Money Vol 1: Death in Dubai
Ghost Money Vol 2: The Eyes of Chamza
Ghost Money Vol 3: Death in Dubai
Ghost Money Vol 4: The Tashkent Prisoner
Ghost Money Vol 5: The Black Cloud
m/f
Themes: Bi Lindsey pines for straight Chamza who is pining for a dude, 9/11, the war on terror, al-Qaeda's treasure, CIA spies, my brain got a bit fuzzy with all the political cloak and dagger shite, the artwork kept me going though, I would need to read it again to get all of it… but not today ;-)
4 stars
* I received this ARC from NetGalley in return for a honest review.
October 30, 2018
Ghost Money: Death in Dubai by Thierry Smolderen is one of those rare graphic novels that reads like a suspense novel that could have been written by John Le Carre or Frederick Forsyth. Timely and relevant, there is intrigue and suspense that would have the most jaded reader appreciated the art and writing.
Lindsey is a young student in London who is rescued by Chamza from a riot in the streets. They begin a relationship and before she knows it, Lindsey finds herself in a world of wealth and intrigue.
Chamza has ties to political and revolutionary movements throughout the Islamic world. But it is not clear what her agenda truly is and what side her loyalties lay.
A group of US contractors have taken notice of Chamza and believe her vast wealth is a threat to the world economy. These contractors are veterans of the war in Iraq and begin to believe that Chamza's wealth may be the legendary lost treasure of Al-Qaeda, which was supposedly amassed through insider trading prior to 9/11.
Now they have set their sights on Chamza and Lindsey and can the two women survive the next series of events to unfold. Or is this what Chamza has been expecting all along?
This is the cold war for a new generation. While the Middle East and its instability has always played a huge role on the world stage, the actual Arab countries involved has played a minor role. Pawns to be moved about the chess board by the Western countries, those countries that that the Arab countries and their revolutionaries to be weak and too backward to run the table. 9/11 has changed all that and now the world itself has gotten even smaller.
A tense and well scripted thriller with stunning artwork.
A very good read.
Lindsey is a young student in London who is rescued by Chamza from a riot in the streets. They begin a relationship and before she knows it, Lindsey finds herself in a world of wealth and intrigue.
Chamza has ties to political and revolutionary movements throughout the Islamic world. But it is not clear what her agenda truly is and what side her loyalties lay.
A group of US contractors have taken notice of Chamza and believe her vast wealth is a threat to the world economy. These contractors are veterans of the war in Iraq and begin to believe that Chamza's wealth may be the legendary lost treasure of Al-Qaeda, which was supposedly amassed through insider trading prior to 9/11.
Now they have set their sights on Chamza and Lindsey and can the two women survive the next series of events to unfold. Or is this what Chamza has been expecting all along?
This is the cold war for a new generation. While the Middle East and its instability has always played a huge role on the world stage, the actual Arab countries involved has played a minor role. Pawns to be moved about the chess board by the Western countries, those countries that that the Arab countries and their revolutionaries to be weak and too backward to run the table. 9/11 has changed all that and now the world itself has gotten even smaller.
A tense and well scripted thriller with stunning artwork.
A very good read.
April 8, 2021
Una storia di spie, intrighi finanziari, terrorismo e capitalismo.
Inizia bene, ma pian piano si perde in discorsi e scene inutili. Estremamente prolisso in più punti, diventando sempre più noioso, intricato e, negli ultimi 2 capitoli, a tratti insensato.
Il tratto è freddo e non fa trasparire alcun sentimento/emozione dei personaggi, il che è in linea con l'idea del fumetto "fantapolitico" che si è voluto creare.
Il fumetto si apre con una smielata e stramba storia d'amore, per poi finire a robot, comandati da tecnologie neurali a distanza da un tizio in sedia a rotelle, che vengono usati come armi da combattimento.
Ultimi 2 capitoli confusi, con stravolgimenti di fronte abbastanza banali.
Finale che non svela le risposte a tutte le domande.
Non so identificarlo in un genere, se non "politico".
Sicuramente non lo rileggerò.
Inizia bene, ma pian piano si perde in discorsi e scene inutili. Estremamente prolisso in più punti, diventando sempre più noioso, intricato e, negli ultimi 2 capitoli, a tratti insensato.
Il tratto è freddo e non fa trasparire alcun sentimento/emozione dei personaggi, il che è in linea con l'idea del fumetto "fantapolitico" che si è voluto creare.
Il fumetto si apre con una smielata e stramba storia d'amore, per poi finire a robot, comandati da tecnologie neurali a distanza da un tizio in sedia a rotelle, che vengono usati come armi da combattimento.
Ultimi 2 capitoli confusi, con stravolgimenti di fronte abbastanza banali.
Finale che non svela le risposte a tutte le domande.
Non so identificarlo in un genere, se non "politico".
Sicuramente non lo rileggerò.
November 2, 2025
Dominique Bertail is a modern master. This twisty political action thriller story can't quite live up to the visuals, but there are some memorable moments
August 11, 2018
Political intrigue intrigue in a near future world. Ok art, not memorable, but sufficient for the story. Most twists were not big surprises. Felt a tad long for the story delivered.
August 15, 2019
3+/4-. Fajna fabuła, ale nijakie zakończenie. Intryga zbudowana szeroko: zaczyna się po zamachach z 11 września a potem przenosi się ponad dwadzieścia lat do przodu. Nie wykorzystuje pełni potencjału, ale na szczęście i nie spowalnia marnując czas na duperele. Występują ciekawi i niejednoznaczni bohaterowie. Ale szkoda, że twórcy nie weszli głębiej w swoje pomysły dotyczące głównego wątku. Stąd i moje wahanie odnośnie oceny.
March 9, 2023
My wife is from Tajikistan and I lived there for several years, so I was excited to see the story mention Tajikistan. The artwork is well done. The story hews to real historical events. The President of Uzbekistan's daughter really was in an Uzbek prison for a bit - and she spent time overseas spending her questionable fortune. For the most part the story is well told conceptually. What mars it for me is the anti-American taint that jars the story off its plot lines. There's a scene of sexual perversion amidst the American villains which adds nothing to the story and confuses me why it's even necessary. The Americans commit despicable acts, which is clear because they are villains, but the rest is overwrought, and it detracts from an otherwise interesting tale. I'm not against anti-American rants, but I am against it when it pushes the story line off the page and gets too preachy. There is the leftist stereotype that Americans are all greedy and are only motivated by money, yet gobs of money always manage to fall into the laps of the sympathetic Leftist rebels - the leftist heroes are untainted by money, but now can finance their heroic activities - how convenient. What I really mean, if the author pauses the story to unleash invective against Americans and get too preachy about it (displaying their ignorance of Americans), I prefer to get back to the story. I've been to many of the locations depicted in this graphic novel and am pleased to recognize the artist eye for detail and accuracy contributing to the atmosphere of the place. Unfortunately, all of the American characters are cardboard caricatures and the preachy ranting became more important to the author than simply telling a captivating story.
August 2, 2018
*A big thank you to NetGalley for letting me review Ghost Money*
We are shown what happened 20 years ago and then we are shown what is happening now.
Suddenly, in a mass movilisation, Lindsey is saved by a woman (what are the chances of being randomly saved?) and suddenly they are flying on a trasport that went from a simple limousine to an airplane (yes, wtf, the future I guess) and they go from London to Dubai.
This woman, Chamza, who is from Tajinistan, saves her and introduces her to a world of wealth and well being, which is suspicious by the way.
It was interesting seeing the different types of cultures and clothes that people wear.
Clearly the protagonist is just an excuse to show us how the plot develops but does not have a key function in the story.
And there's a lot of political messages.
It's so interesting and enriching reading about Indian culture.
I loved the comments about some things that are mentioned because otherwise I wouldn't have understood them. It would be really interesting to see this story translated.
Then (I won't explain much because I don't want to mention any spoilers) Chamza is in Shangai after a certain eye operation that changes everything. And from then on I think that the political message is shown more explicit each time.
I was fascinated by the author's note at the end of the graphic novel because he explains all the background of the story and why he created this story.
Even though it had good elements, I feel that I didn't enjoy the novel as much as I should have.
We are shown what happened 20 years ago and then we are shown what is happening now.
Suddenly, in a mass movilisation, Lindsey is saved by a woman (what are the chances of being randomly saved?) and suddenly they are flying on a trasport that went from a simple limousine to an airplane (yes, wtf, the future I guess) and they go from London to Dubai.
This woman, Chamza, who is from Tajinistan, saves her and introduces her to a world of wealth and well being, which is suspicious by the way.
It was interesting seeing the different types of cultures and clothes that people wear.
Clearly the protagonist is just an excuse to show us how the plot develops but does not have a key function in the story.
And there's a lot of political messages.
It's so interesting and enriching reading about Indian culture.
I loved the comments about some things that are mentioned because otherwise I wouldn't have understood them. It would be really interesting to see this story translated.
Then (I won't explain much because I don't want to mention any spoilers) Chamza is in Shangai after a certain eye operation that changes everything. And from then on I think that the political message is shown more explicit each time.
I was fascinated by the author's note at the end of the graphic novel because he explains all the background of the story and why he created this story.
Even though it had good elements, I feel that I didn't enjoy the novel as much as I should have.
April 25, 2020
'Ghost Money: Death in Dubai' by Thierry Smolderen with illustrations by Dominique Bertail is a near-fugure thriller involving tracking money down that funded the 9/11 attack.
A young woman named Lindsey is rescued from a protest by a mysterious woman named Chamza, and their fates are intertwined. Chamza seems to have lots and lots of money, and she is being tracked by the US government. The story moves around the world and features technology that we don't currently have, but may soon, like cornea replacements to spy on people, and futuristic travel.
At 296 pages, this was a long read. It took me a while to finally review it because it just seemed a bit daunting to me. I'm glad I finally read it, but it could have been a shorter story. The art is mediocre and feels a bit muddy at times. The art feels a little gratuitous at times too.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Lion Forge, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
A young woman named Lindsey is rescued from a protest by a mysterious woman named Chamza, and their fates are intertwined. Chamza seems to have lots and lots of money, and she is being tracked by the US government. The story moves around the world and features technology that we don't currently have, but may soon, like cornea replacements to spy on people, and futuristic travel.
At 296 pages, this was a long read. It took me a while to finally review it because it just seemed a bit daunting to me. I'm glad I finally read it, but it could have been a shorter story. The art is mediocre and feels a bit muddy at times. The art feels a little gratuitous at times too.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Lion Forge, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
June 5, 2018
Nearly halfway through, but this still wasn't grabbing me. So-so near-future espionage thriller, where lipstick lesbian muslima gets bugged so the Americans can see her every vision and hear her every word, in order to trace her mahoosive fortune, which they think is leftovers from Al-Qaeda. It tries to be a globe-trotting Jane Bond, and gets all the places I know, such as Tashkent, wrong, with the excuse this is set five years from now. Her flat-chested girlfriend is cute, but still nowhere near engaging enough. Also the artwork could be called fine but really wasn't my taste, with panels within panels, and a stupid habit of changing scene abruptly halfway down the page.
November 5, 2023
Mam wrażenie, że komiks strasznie długo się rozkręcał. Dużo postaci, które jakoś nie do końca w pełni zapadają w pamięć. Sama intryga wydaje mi się być również trochę na wyrost. Jednak im bliżej końca, tym lepiej. Z drugiej strony po przeczytaniu całości miałem wrażenie jakiejś formy rozczarowania jak przy "Strażnikach" Moora i Gibbonsa. Scenariusz wydaje mi się być odrobinę lepszy, ale wciąż pozostaje pewien niedosyt. Porównałbym to trochę też z "Człowiekiem z Wysokiego Zamku" Dicka. Jeśli ktoś lubi te dwa tytuły, to "Ghost money" powinno się mu spodobać.
September 3, 2018
Very good art work but rather standard, America's the bad guy, kind of jingoism from the last decade. Mysterious rich woman acts mysteriously, bad American clique uses her, blackmails her without her knowing it, and a background story they used some of the money to finance a Republican candidate's campaign.
Meanwhile, near future, world is falling apart with violence and ecological disaster. Nothing special for a comic. Writing's average, great artwork, averages to 4-stars.
Meanwhile, near future, world is falling apart with violence and ecological disaster. Nothing special for a comic. Writing's average, great artwork, averages to 4-stars.
August 4, 2020
I found this book to be absolutely enthralling; I sat down and didn't move until I'd finished it.
The story was really engaging and well paced. I think it resonated with me so much because it felt like Tom Clancy and John le Carre plus cyberpunk.
The art was also a beautiful combination of gritty versus stark clean and bright which I think worked well to depict the different environments.
The story was really engaging and well paced. I think it resonated with me so much because it felt like Tom Clancy and John le Carre plus cyberpunk.
The art was also a beautiful combination of gritty versus stark clean and bright which I think worked well to depict the different environments.
January 16, 2019
Might have been more relevant in 2008, when it as first published. Now - although drawn beautifully with a realy "clean" style - it feels not as timely. And with a plot that is sometimes convoluted and sometimes just straight baffling.
January 13, 2019
Beautifully illustrated, but there's so much going on with this story at such a breakneck pace that it was difficult to keep up. Subtlety and nuance were in very short supply.
November 2, 2023
Great series
November 27, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for my honest review.
I am always a fan of a good spy thriller and intrigue. This novel reads like a John le Carre novel, I was kept on the edge of my seat most of the reading. There are some scenes that take some suspension of disbelief. Just go with it. Intriguing characters and beautifully rendered. I Definitely recommend if you love some intrigue.
I am always a fan of a good spy thriller and intrigue. This novel reads like a John le Carre novel, I was kept on the edge of my seat most of the reading. There are some scenes that take some suspension of disbelief. Just go with it. Intriguing characters and beautifully rendered. I Definitely recommend if you love some intrigue.
February 22, 2019
What if 9/11 was really a plot for Al-Qaeda to gain money through short-selling stocks and then someone made an action movie about it with sex robots? If you have ever asked this question, then do I have the comic for you!
Pros: interesting idea, international locales, double-crosses and sneakiness abounding!
Cons: Hard to distinguish between some of the CIA operatives (perhaps a consequence of my low-res review copy?), lots of goofy action-movie tropes, written by people who like to draw/look at boobs, i.e.:
https://www.reluctantm.com/wp-content...
Seriously? She takes off her coat and there they are? WHY ARE YOU NOT WEARING A BRA CHAZMA (that's her name)? With knockers that size, you need a bra.
Here she is a frame before:
https://www.reluctantm.com/wp-content...
where we can see her coat's furry collar between her head and the dude behind her. And then, next frame, coat off, and:
https://www.reluctantm.com/wp-content...
gravity-free boob city! Then there are like five more frames after this just so we can stare at her boobs.
(Not even mentioning that this is a surgical suite and she walks in right off the street with her clothes, no sterilization, and then promptly receives non-life-saving (i.e. there was time to properly sterilize and put on a hospital gown) surgery to her face, so why is she topless?)
How long until my blog devolves into just me posting photos from comic books with bad female anatomy? People who write comics, you do understand that there aren't special spacial dimensions that exist solely around breast tissue, right? Right? Because I'm starting to believe that you guys don't understand how breasts work at all.
Or maybe she has implants and they are hard as rocks with steel reinforcements to keep them up. I don't know.
Ghost Money: Death in Dubai by Thierry Smolderen and Dominique Bertail Lee went on sale July 31, 2018.
I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Pros: interesting idea, international locales, double-crosses and sneakiness abounding!
Cons: Hard to distinguish between some of the CIA operatives (perhaps a consequence of my low-res review copy?), lots of goofy action-movie tropes, written by people who like to draw/look at boobs, i.e.:
https://www.reluctantm.com/wp-content...
Seriously? She takes off her coat and there they are? WHY ARE YOU NOT WEARING A BRA CHAZMA (that's her name)? With knockers that size, you need a bra.
Here she is a frame before:
https://www.reluctantm.com/wp-content...
where we can see her coat's furry collar between her head and the dude behind her. And then, next frame, coat off, and:
https://www.reluctantm.com/wp-content...
gravity-free boob city! Then there are like five more frames after this just so we can stare at her boobs.
(Not even mentioning that this is a surgical suite and she walks in right off the street with her clothes, no sterilization, and then promptly receives non-life-saving (i.e. there was time to properly sterilize and put on a hospital gown) surgery to her face, so why is she topless?)
How long until my blog devolves into just me posting photos from comic books with bad female anatomy? People who write comics, you do understand that there aren't special spacial dimensions that exist solely around breast tissue, right? Right? Because I'm starting to believe that you guys don't understand how breasts work at all.
Or maybe she has implants and they are hard as rocks with steel reinforcements to keep them up. I don't know.
Ghost Money: Death in Dubai by Thierry Smolderen and Dominique Bertail Lee went on sale July 31, 2018.
I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews