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Adèle Blanc-Sec #1-2
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec 1: Pterror Over Paris/The Eiffel Tower Demon
Both a rip-roaring adventure series set in pre-World War I Paris and a parody of the same, Adele has been enchanting, thrilling, and puzzling readers worldwide through four decades. With various American attempts to publish Adele having dribbled into nothing decades ago, Fantagraphics Books, fresh from its triumphs with Tardi's West Coast Blues and You Are There, launches a spectacular, newly retranslated, hardcover series ¬- The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec - that intends to collect every one of its nine (soon ten) volumes. In this premiere installment which features two tales, "Pterror Over Paris" and "The Eiffel Tower Demon," Adele becomes involved in a series of mysteries that involve a revived pterodactyl, a frightful on-stage murder, a looming execution by guillotine, and a demon from the depths of hell - plus of course moronic gendarmes, loyal (or perhaps traitorous?) henchmen, and a climax atop the Eiffel Tower.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
12 people are currently reading
778 people want to read
About the author
Jacques Tardi
297 books212 followersJacques Tardi is a French comics artist, born 30 August 1946 in Valence, Drôme. He is often credited solely as Tardi.
After graduating from the École nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon and the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in Paris, he started writing comics in 1969, at the age of 23, in the comics magazine Pilote, initially illustrating short stories written by Jean Giraud and Serge de Beketch, before creating the political fiction story Rumeur sur le Rouergue from a scenario by Pierre Christin in 1972.
A highly versatile artist, Tardi successfully adapted novels by controversial writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline or crime novelist Léo Malet. In Malet's case, Tardi adapted his detective hero Nestor Burma into a series of critically acclaimed graphic novels, though he also wrote and drew original stories of his own.
Tardi also created one of French comics' most famous heroines, Adèle Blanc-Sec. This series recreates the Paris of early 20th century where the moody heroine encounters supernatural events, state plots, occult societies and experiments in cryogenics.
Another graphic novel was Ici Même which was written by Jean-Claude Forest, best known as the creator of Barbarella. A satire, it describes the adventures of Arthur Même who lives on the walls of his family's former property.
Tardi has produced many antiwar graphic novels and comics, mainly focusing on the collective European trauma of the First World War, and the pitfalls of patriotism spawned several albums (Adieu Brindavoine, C'était la guerre des tranchées, Le trou d'obus, Putain de Guerre...). His grandfather's involvement in the day-to-day horrors of trench warfare, seems to have had a deep influence to his artistic expression. He also completed a four-volume series on the Paris Commune, Le cri du peuple.
Fantagraphics Books translate and publish in English a wide range of Tardi's books, done by editor and translator Kim Thompson.[3] The books released so far are West Coast Blues (Le Petit bleu de la côte ouest), You Are There (Ici Même), and It Was the War of the Trenches (C'était la guerre des tranchées); a single album collecting the first two Adele Blanc-Sec volumes has also been published.
->http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_...
After graduating from the École nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon and the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in Paris, he started writing comics in 1969, at the age of 23, in the comics magazine Pilote, initially illustrating short stories written by Jean Giraud and Serge de Beketch, before creating the political fiction story Rumeur sur le Rouergue from a scenario by Pierre Christin in 1972.
A highly versatile artist, Tardi successfully adapted novels by controversial writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline or crime novelist Léo Malet. In Malet's case, Tardi adapted his detective hero Nestor Burma into a series of critically acclaimed graphic novels, though he also wrote and drew original stories of his own.
Tardi also created one of French comics' most famous heroines, Adèle Blanc-Sec. This series recreates the Paris of early 20th century where the moody heroine encounters supernatural events, state plots, occult societies and experiments in cryogenics.
Another graphic novel was Ici Même which was written by Jean-Claude Forest, best known as the creator of Barbarella. A satire, it describes the adventures of Arthur Même who lives on the walls of his family's former property.
Tardi has produced many antiwar graphic novels and comics, mainly focusing on the collective European trauma of the First World War, and the pitfalls of patriotism spawned several albums (Adieu Brindavoine, C'était la guerre des tranchées, Le trou d'obus, Putain de Guerre...). His grandfather's involvement in the day-to-day horrors of trench warfare, seems to have had a deep influence to his artistic expression. He also completed a four-volume series on the Paris Commune, Le cri du peuple.
Fantagraphics Books translate and publish in English a wide range of Tardi's books, done by editor and translator Kim Thompson.[3] The books released so far are West Coast Blues (Le Petit bleu de la côte ouest), You Are There (Ici Même), and It Was the War of the Trenches (C'était la guerre des tranchées); a single album collecting the first two Adele Blanc-Sec volumes has also been published.
->http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
June 14, 2020
if wishes were horses, i would be riding a five-star review right here, instead of writing a three-star one.
this is a reissue of the 1976 printing, and one which combines two "extraordinary adventures": pterror over paris and the eiffel tower demon. of course it is gorgeous—fantagraphics doesn't make junk. i like the artwork, i like the colors, but some of the characters get muddled up in my mind because they seem to all come from the same general gene-pool and sometimes they are wearing disguises.
which brings me to that. it is very confusing. my understanding is that it is meant to be, being a parody of these very popular adventure comics that frequently relied upon implausible outcomes and the understanding that the reader would be assisting by suspending disbelief throughout. but lacking a background in the thing that is being parodied, this did not push enough of my "ah-ha!" buttons. it just kind of gives me a headache after a while, trying to remember who was being double-crossed by whom and who was shot and who was accused and how is this mind-control over a pterodactyl even happening—ahhhh never mind.
i still think it is beautiful.
i have the first part of this volume in french, which i actually prefer reading, because the guns go "pan" and the pterodactyl goes "croak," and if i don't understand what is happening, it is easier to mark it down to "those crazy french..." and my wavering fluency.
the next two have also been published in a single volume, and at some point, i am going to get those, too, but this time i will not have any of the benefit of having the french version at my elbow for laughter, so i am hoping that by then, the laughter will be supplied by adele blanc-sec herself.
if not...pan!
come to my blog!
this is a reissue of the 1976 printing, and one which combines two "extraordinary adventures": pterror over paris and the eiffel tower demon. of course it is gorgeous—fantagraphics doesn't make junk. i like the artwork, i like the colors, but some of the characters get muddled up in my mind because they seem to all come from the same general gene-pool and sometimes they are wearing disguises.
which brings me to that. it is very confusing. my understanding is that it is meant to be, being a parody of these very popular adventure comics that frequently relied upon implausible outcomes and the understanding that the reader would be assisting by suspending disbelief throughout. but lacking a background in the thing that is being parodied, this did not push enough of my "ah-ha!" buttons. it just kind of gives me a headache after a while, trying to remember who was being double-crossed by whom and who was shot and who was accused and how is this mind-control over a pterodactyl even happening—ahhhh never mind.
i still think it is beautiful.
i have the first part of this volume in french, which i actually prefer reading, because the guns go "pan" and the pterodactyl goes "croak," and if i don't understand what is happening, it is easier to mark it down to "those crazy french..." and my wavering fluency.
the next two have also been published in a single volume, and at some point, i am going to get those, too, but this time i will not have any of the benefit of having the french version at my elbow for laughter, so i am hoping that by then, the laughter will be supplied by adele blanc-sec herself.
if not...pan!
come to my blog!
March 10, 2021
космічно дурацький комікс — у найкращому з можливих сенсів.
містичне оживлення динозаврів заради науки, птеродактилі над парижем, культ демона пазузу, розпилення чуми з ейфелевої вежі, double- і tripple-crossing (здається, був навіть quadruple-crossing, але я не певна, що правильно порахувала, бо див. наступний пункт), безліч вусатих чоловіків і повсюдне маскування під вусатих і бородатих чоловіків, від якого ще складніше розрізнити, хто де, погоні на каретах, викрадення, пограбування і труп на трупі. і, звісно — бо ж із таким сюжетним навантаженням непросто впоратися в коміксовому форматі — довжелезні експозиції в діалогах, які додатково підкручують градус абсурду.
дуже добре, що ці дві частини зібрані в одну книжку: після першої в мене ще були сумніви, чи воно достатньо кумедне, щоби продиратися далі, але друга зайшла як ріднесенька. вишуканий балаган.
містичне оживлення динозаврів заради науки, птеродактилі над парижем, культ демона пазузу, розпилення чуми з ейфелевої вежі, double- і tripple-crossing (здається, був навіть quadruple-crossing, але я не певна, що правильно порахувала, бо див. наступний пункт), безліч вусатих чоловіків і повсюдне маскування під вусатих і бородатих чоловіків, від якого ще складніше розрізнити, хто де, погоні на каретах, викрадення, пограбування і труп на трупі. і, звісно — бо ж із таким сюжетним навантаженням непросто впоратися в коміксовому форматі — довжелезні експозиції в діалогах, які додатково підкручують градус абсурду.
дуже добре, що ці дві частини зібрані в одну книжку: після першої в мене ще були сумніви, чи воно достатньо кумедне, щоби продиратися далі, але друга зайшла як ріднесенька. вишуканий балаган.
October 15, 2019
As Kronk says, "By all accounts, it doesn't make sense." The time period and general tone of Adèle Blanc-Sec are intriguing, but the story is confusing and most of the characters look identical. The plot, which feels like it started before this first volume, is full of double- and triple-crossings, but because I don't know the characters and can't tell them apart, it feels meaningless to me. My experience of volume one of Adèle Blanc-Sec is similar to how I've felt about other popular European series such as Tintin and Asterix. I have this feeling like I'm missing some kind of cultural background that would make all of this make sense, as it does for so many other people in the world.
Adèle herself is uninterestingly enigmatic. She constantly scowls and usually seems to have her eyes closed. Her adventures are extraordinarily wordy, if not particularly extraordinary. I don't know if I've ever seen panels so clogged with expositional speeches—and I still have almost no idea what's going on!
What I do like about this book is the artwork. Jacques Tardi has a great eye for architectural detail and framing of panels. I enjoy the color palette, which conveys a sense of time and place so clearly.
Adèle herself is uninterestingly enigmatic. She constantly scowls and usually seems to have her eyes closed. Her adventures are extraordinarily wordy, if not particularly extraordinary. I don't know if I've ever seen panels so clogged with expositional speeches—and I still have almost no idea what's going on!
What I do like about this book is the artwork. Jacques Tardi has a great eye for architectural detail and framing of panels. I enjoy the color palette, which conveys a sense of time and place so clearly.
November 24, 2015
This falls into the much loved genre of comedic/silly detective stories, but it falls flat somehow. I enjoyed the art and the almost scooby doo-ish humor but the storytelling was so-so (unlike scooby doo?) and all the mustachioed guys looked the same. There wasn't enough character development to help the poor reader distinguish one mustache from another.
May 22, 2011
Help! I have been parachuted into the middle of a story and cannot figure out who any of the characters are, their motivations or backgrounds, or just how in the heck the weird looking dude made a pterodactyl egg hatch and now telepathically controls it! Oh, and my surroundings are ugly.
January 2, 2012
In 1967 Paris revised its building code, producing a master plan which threw out the old requirements that building height be limited by street width and that buildings be aligned with each other. Meant to encourage fashionable contemporary ideas on city planning, it resulted in massive, impersonal modern skyscrapers shattering and fragmenting old neighborhoods and the accompanying rise of automotive traffic. Although the code was revised in 1974, a great deal of damage had already been done.
I think that background has to be considered in the 1976 publication of the first of Jacques Tardi's comics of the Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec. Murky, confusing, and frustrating, these illustrated adventures are a lovingly detailed tribute to the Paris that used to be.
From the first panoramic view of the dramatically night-lit Jardin des Plantes (and its marvelous museum interior), "The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec" is a beautifully-drawn evocation of 1911 Paris, a jaw-dropping marvel of visual historical research. Tardi has a good intricate pen technique that demonstrates a real affection for the past.
The colors are dark and murky. All the reds are brownish-reds, all the blues grayish, all the yellows mustardy, the greens olive. The only bright color is the red of blood when someone is wounded. This brings across the historical nature of the story, as if we were separated from that time by fading and darkening. Everything about the art supports the time, the place, the atmosphere.
But ... I hate the story. The main character, Adèle Blanc-Sec, is an enigma. Is she a hero? A villain? She is introduced as kidnapping someone, but we don't know who or why. There is a bizarrely convoluted plot involving a hatched pterodactyl, and ... well, I'm not exactly sure what. I can't make it out.
The men are extremely difficult to tell apart from one another. All the people are drawn in a cartoony fashion, and all the men seem to have the same craggy faces, huge noses, and ridiculous black moustaches. It does not help that the plot involves hidden identities, double-crossing, disguise, and betrayal. Important explanations are done in massive word balloons of text filled with names, almost impossible to follow. I suspect it of being nothing more than an absurdist excuse for drawing all those lovely vistas and interiors of old Paris.
Mlle. Blanc-Sec scowls all the time, her expression almost never changing (it was quite astonishing to see publicity photos of a new film based on the books, in which Blanc-Sec never stops smiling). In fact, nobody's expression changes much. The men tend to look either blank or befuddled, but the women all seem furious about something. So far there are three women in the entire series: the ever-scowling Adèle, the ever-frowning Edith Rabatjoie of the pointy nose and little glasses, and the ever-glaring Clara Benhardt, a nefarious actress.
Characters betray each other, steal things, are killed, but it's hard to care. We know almost nothing about any of them.
As an artist, I can't help but admire Tardi's beautiful linework and sensitive, detailed, plausible renderings of Paris of a century ago. As a reader, I am bewildered and annoyed.
EDIT: I found the second volume of this series (comprising the third and fourth story of the original series) to be funnier and less frustrating than this one. I'm glad I kept going.
I think that background has to be considered in the 1976 publication of the first of Jacques Tardi's comics of the Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec. Murky, confusing, and frustrating, these illustrated adventures are a lovingly detailed tribute to the Paris that used to be.
From the first panoramic view of the dramatically night-lit Jardin des Plantes (and its marvelous museum interior), "The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec" is a beautifully-drawn evocation of 1911 Paris, a jaw-dropping marvel of visual historical research. Tardi has a good intricate pen technique that demonstrates a real affection for the past.
The colors are dark and murky. All the reds are brownish-reds, all the blues grayish, all the yellows mustardy, the greens olive. The only bright color is the red of blood when someone is wounded. This brings across the historical nature of the story, as if we were separated from that time by fading and darkening. Everything about the art supports the time, the place, the atmosphere.
But ... I hate the story. The main character, Adèle Blanc-Sec, is an enigma. Is she a hero? A villain? She is introduced as kidnapping someone, but we don't know who or why. There is a bizarrely convoluted plot involving a hatched pterodactyl, and ... well, I'm not exactly sure what. I can't make it out.
The men are extremely difficult to tell apart from one another. All the people are drawn in a cartoony fashion, and all the men seem to have the same craggy faces, huge noses, and ridiculous black moustaches. It does not help that the plot involves hidden identities, double-crossing, disguise, and betrayal. Important explanations are done in massive word balloons of text filled with names, almost impossible to follow. I suspect it of being nothing more than an absurdist excuse for drawing all those lovely vistas and interiors of old Paris.
Mlle. Blanc-Sec scowls all the time, her expression almost never changing (it was quite astonishing to see publicity photos of a new film based on the books, in which Blanc-Sec never stops smiling). In fact, nobody's expression changes much. The men tend to look either blank or befuddled, but the women all seem furious about something. So far there are three women in the entire series: the ever-scowling Adèle, the ever-frowning Edith Rabatjoie of the pointy nose and little glasses, and the ever-glaring Clara Benhardt, a nefarious actress.
Characters betray each other, steal things, are killed, but it's hard to care. We know almost nothing about any of them.
As an artist, I can't help but admire Tardi's beautiful linework and sensitive, detailed, plausible renderings of Paris of a century ago. As a reader, I am bewildered and annoyed.
EDIT: I found the second volume of this series (comprising the third and fourth story of the original series) to be funnier and less frustrating than this one. I'm glad I kept going.
February 4, 2022
Published in ‘76, you really do need to sort of be aware of what graphic novels were like at the time, I think. The plot is completely secondary to shocking twists and turns no one could see coming. Nowadays we chalk that up to bad plotting and, generally, let’s be honest, the older comics are sort of known for bad writing. Bombastic. Not exactly high lit. But it’s fun and it’s almost always steeped in social commentary.
This is no different. We are told very little about anyone, including Adéle herself, it’s just a whole lot of wild stuff about psychics and prehistoric creatures and murders and double crossings. It’s just fun. But to top it off, though, the artwork is just staggeringly good. Far better than what most modern comics produce. Old Paris and the unusual colour choices, soaked in 70s aesthetic. Really love the style. And very happy I tracked down a copy because it’s completely sold out through here (in Canada). I hope they’ll go beyond the first two volumes, but doesn’t seem like they will. It’s been ages since that second one was published.
This is no different. We are told very little about anyone, including Adéle herself, it’s just a whole lot of wild stuff about psychics and prehistoric creatures and murders and double crossings. It’s just fun. But to top it off, though, the artwork is just staggeringly good. Far better than what most modern comics produce. Old Paris and the unusual colour choices, soaked in 70s aesthetic. Really love the style. And very happy I tracked down a copy because it’s completely sold out through here (in Canada). I hope they’ll go beyond the first two volumes, but doesn’t seem like they will. It’s been ages since that second one was published.
December 10, 2017
Adele Blanc-Sec is a morally ambiguous adventurer in 1911 Paris, involved with absurd plots (e.g. the hatching of a Pterodactyl egg, for no coherent reason, a plot to start a plague in Paris to advance the cult of the demon Pazuzu). Tardi seems deliberately to create plots so convoluted as to be incomprehensible. The deliberateness is clearly announced in a dialogue sequence that has one character sum up what has happened so far as "Not even fodder for a penny dreadful . . . Too complicated! No one would understand a word." There are plots within plots, multiple overlapping crimes and conspiracies, multiple betrayals, and repeated use of disguise, which makes keeping track of who is who even harder. Tardi seems to be aiming for a sort of parody of fantastic adventures, and indeed at points the results are amusing, but overall, this is more befuddling than anything else. Nicely drawn, though.
August 10, 2011
One night a pterodactyl hatches in a museum in Paris and flies off to create chaos. Meanwhile a mysterious woman is en route to Paris with some strange luggage and a different quest in mind - extortion. Throw in some ancient demons and more double crossing than you can shake a stick at and you've got "The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec".
This 1976 reprint really disappointed me. Fantagraphics put this book out and as usual did a stand up job publishing it - the book is beautiful and would look amazing on your bookshelf. But the contents? Let's see - horrible writing with no hint of characterisation and too many panels overloaded with dialogue, clichés, and needless exposition make this a startlingly dull read.
That doesn't compare to the artwork though. Jacques Tardi has maybe 3 different character faces which means the reader can't keep up with the labyrinthine plot of backstabbing because all of the characters look the same. The men all look the same - Caucasian, thin, dark hair and spindly moustaches and beards. Some with glasses, some without. Adele Blanc-Sec and the woman she is blackmailing look almost identical and they are seemingly the only women in Paris.
The general artwork is quite good but the colours are very dull which, added to the dull dialogue and very plain set pieces, really puts the reader to sleep. The plots become overly convoluted and the real reasons you're reading this remain a mystery throughout - who is Adele Blanc-Sec and why does she do what she does? It's never explained but halfway through the second story I couldn't care less. You see for all of it's attempts at being "extraordinary", the stories are very ordinary. The inclusion of fantastical elements like dinosaurs and monsters only serve to accentuate this, that even these things can't elevate the unremitting boredom of the book one iota.
There was some nonsense about treasure, some interchangeable men who backstab each other and chase after said treasure, Adele meanwhile is somehow ... you know what? Even trying to explain the overly plotted tedium of this book is too much for me. I'll end now by saying if I can't even finish a 90 page comic book, boy is it not worth picking up. I think I'm going to watch a fan circulate instead.
This 1976 reprint really disappointed me. Fantagraphics put this book out and as usual did a stand up job publishing it - the book is beautiful and would look amazing on your bookshelf. But the contents? Let's see - horrible writing with no hint of characterisation and too many panels overloaded with dialogue, clichés, and needless exposition make this a startlingly dull read.
That doesn't compare to the artwork though. Jacques Tardi has maybe 3 different character faces which means the reader can't keep up with the labyrinthine plot of backstabbing because all of the characters look the same. The men all look the same - Caucasian, thin, dark hair and spindly moustaches and beards. Some with glasses, some without. Adele Blanc-Sec and the woman she is blackmailing look almost identical and they are seemingly the only women in Paris.
The general artwork is quite good but the colours are very dull which, added to the dull dialogue and very plain set pieces, really puts the reader to sleep. The plots become overly convoluted and the real reasons you're reading this remain a mystery throughout - who is Adele Blanc-Sec and why does she do what she does? It's never explained but halfway through the second story I couldn't care less. You see for all of it's attempts at being "extraordinary", the stories are very ordinary. The inclusion of fantastical elements like dinosaurs and monsters only serve to accentuate this, that even these things can't elevate the unremitting boredom of the book one iota.
There was some nonsense about treasure, some interchangeable men who backstab each other and chase after said treasure, Adele meanwhile is somehow ... you know what? Even trying to explain the overly plotted tedium of this book is too much for me. I'll end now by saying if I can't even finish a 90 page comic book, boy is it not worth picking up. I think I'm going to watch a fan circulate instead.
November 23, 2010
Jacques Tardi, I think, is quite remarkable. While everyone is singing the praises of other graphic novelists, Tardi is focused on having one foot in the past and the other foot in the contemporary world. This is a very elegant edition of his two graphic novels which is part of a series called "The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec." Both stories connect to each other in a 1930's style of serialization.
Very pulpy, with Victorian overtones, but with a wit and a great sense of charm. And I love Tardi's drawings. Extremely detailed and a magnificent tribute to one of the main characters in the story - Paris. Mysterious pathways, the always haunted vibe of Jardin des Plantes (I stayed across the street, its a scary place), and characters that are a mixture of criminals and heroes at the same time. Love it.
Very pulpy, with Victorian overtones, but with a wit and a great sense of charm. And I love Tardi's drawings. Extremely detailed and a magnificent tribute to one of the main characters in the story - Paris. Mysterious pathways, the always haunted vibe of Jardin des Plantes (I stayed across the street, its a scary place), and characters that are a mixture of criminals and heroes at the same time. Love it.
May 10, 2016
Klassisk fransk-belgisk serie i "räta linjen". Har sedan innan sett Luc Bessons"Les aventures extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec" som baserade sig på serien. Filmen blandade ihop alla albumen och man kan se var vissa kommer ifrån och andra sekvenser i filmen är inte med alls.
Startar hastigt och vi får inte så mycket bakgrund om karaktärer e.dy. Många namn och inte alltid lätt att hålla reda på vem som är vem, eftersom alla herrarna har ganska snarlikt utseende.
Jag gillade den, men kan inte säga att avtrycket den gjorde var mer än så.
Startar hastigt och vi får inte så mycket bakgrund om karaktärer e.dy. Många namn och inte alltid lätt att hålla reda på vem som är vem, eftersom alla herrarna har ganska snarlikt utseende.
Jag gillade den, men kan inte säga att avtrycket den gjorde var mer än så.
February 17, 2024
Adèle Blanc-Sec, a cynical detective spinning out of some of Tardi's earlier works, presents a unique vision for a leading heroine of the time. Where they were often presented as overly innocent or naive, or in the other extreme of over-sexualized like in Jean-Claude Forest's Barbarella, Blanc-Sec is instead depicted as shrewd, hyper-rational and cold. While Blanc-Sec is a suitable fit for any type of more grounded crime caper, Tardi's stories here are full of the supernatural whimsey with a touch of steampunk to go with it.
This edition collects two Adèle Blanc-Sec adventures. The first is "Pterror Over Paris", a story that begins with a bit of an overindulgent exposition drop to hastily introduce the moving pieces, but then begins a riveting adventure featuring a killer pterodactyl that picks off Parisians over the span of weeks leading to a great amount of turmoil within the city. A big game hunter takes it on himself to hunt down the pterodactyl while two scientists attempt to take telepathic control over the flying reptile, but the many players soon become entangled with Blanc-Sec's own mission. It's a bizarre sequence of events that make up this story, but Tardi's sheer creativity comes through with each panel of this eccentric crime story.
"The Demon of the Eiffel Tower" picks up soon after the first story and features a demon-worshipping cult that has embedded itself in the highest strands of society. Blanc-Sec holds some grudges from the previous story that carry over here, which ends up having her at odds with the cult. Again, this story is filled with nonsensical moments and bizarre narrative turns, but it lends towards a great amount of unpredictability that makes the story such a fun read.
Though Tardi has some better written works out there than this, I'd have to say the Adèle Blanc-Sec stories are the most fun I've had with any Tardi work yet. His plotting is very complicated but it works well against the simplistic designs he so skillfully employs. There are tons of moments where the action would switch perspectives to cultivate a sense of tension that just worked really well, even if the execution seems simplistic upon first glance. It's the sign of a master at work to make things look this easy, but there's no doubt that Tardi was meticulously planning out his compositions to make these panels all work so well.
This edition collects two Adèle Blanc-Sec adventures. The first is "Pterror Over Paris", a story that begins with a bit of an overindulgent exposition drop to hastily introduce the moving pieces, but then begins a riveting adventure featuring a killer pterodactyl that picks off Parisians over the span of weeks leading to a great amount of turmoil within the city. A big game hunter takes it on himself to hunt down the pterodactyl while two scientists attempt to take telepathic control over the flying reptile, but the many players soon become entangled with Blanc-Sec's own mission. It's a bizarre sequence of events that make up this story, but Tardi's sheer creativity comes through with each panel of this eccentric crime story.
"The Demon of the Eiffel Tower" picks up soon after the first story and features a demon-worshipping cult that has embedded itself in the highest strands of society. Blanc-Sec holds some grudges from the previous story that carry over here, which ends up having her at odds with the cult. Again, this story is filled with nonsensical moments and bizarre narrative turns, but it lends towards a great amount of unpredictability that makes the story such a fun read.
Though Tardi has some better written works out there than this, I'd have to say the Adèle Blanc-Sec stories are the most fun I've had with any Tardi work yet. His plotting is very complicated but it works well against the simplistic designs he so skillfully employs. There are tons of moments where the action would switch perspectives to cultivate a sense of tension that just worked really well, even if the execution seems simplistic upon first glance. It's the sign of a master at work to make things look this easy, but there's no doubt that Tardi was meticulously planning out his compositions to make these panels all work so well.
June 24, 2025
Really cool stuff, I like the art a lot and how the stories connect. Tone and content is really enjoyable. Adèle Blanc-Sec herself is a great heroine. I’m going to have to see if I can get the next volume from the library. If you like Tintin you’ll probably like this, I think Tardi uses a similar artistic vocabulary
June 19, 2018
Set in 1911 Paris, Adele Blanc-Sec is a writer who finds herself embroiled in many strange happenings and a conspiracy including a pteranodon that comes to life and an Assyrian demonic cult. Jacques Tardi's art is beautiful and while the stories in this first volume tend to verge into Scooby Doo territory, they were still fun examples of European steampunk from the 1970s.
May 23, 2022
»»» A compra:
Comecei a acompanhar a intrépida e despachada madame Adèle pelo 3.º volume (compilação) desta coleção, quando consegui este 1.º(compilação) a um preço simpático agarrei a oportunidade.
»»» A aventura:
Esta edição inclui dois volumes da coleção, o 1.º e o 2.º.
---- [Vol. 1.º - “Adèle e o Monstro”] – A busca de Adèle por uma máquina misteriosa cruza-se com os ataques que Paris sofre por parte de um pterodáctilo que eclodiu de um ovo de dinossauro com milhões de anos em exposição no Museu de História Natural de Paris e com o condenado à morte que o pterodáctilo agarra no momento em que este é colocado sob a guilhotina. Esoterismo e aventura estão por toda esta história, como em todas de Adèle.
---- [Vol. 2.º - “O demónio da Torre Eiffel”] – Adèle acaba ligada à busca por uma antiga estatueta assíria do demónio Pazuzu, tendo como primeira pista uma peça teatral cujo elemento cenográfico principal é uma representação dessa estatueta. Uma morte durante a atuação da peça e um atentado à vida de Adèle fazem-na perseguir com maior vigor o mistério que rodeia a estatueta, que parece matar todos os que se cruzam com ela, colocando a sua vida em perigo. A intervenção em tempo do sempre diligente Inspetor Caponi revela-se essencial a Adéle no confronto final com as forças do mal na Torre Eiffel.
»»» Sentimento final:
Bastante bom.
A minha vontade de ter mais uns vislumbres desta atmosfera esotérica e obscura pelas ruas de Paris cruzado com aventura e mistério não dececionou, pois as premissas e ação de ambas as histórias são bastantes boas.
Dos aspetos que me deixam um pouco aquém das expetativas, face ao potencial que vejo na obra, mantém-se (da minha anterior leitura) o dos olhos sempre semicerrados com que é desenhada a nossa protagonista e as cores báricas. No caso do 1.º volume acresce o início desconcertante da história que parece começar a meio da ação, como se faltasse algo para trás, e o facto de ter muitas personagens parecidas, o que torna parte da história algo confusa e mais difícil de seguir.
O 2.º volume foi dos mais satisfatórios para mim desta coleção, com início, meio e fim e uma excelente porção de suspense e ação.
Vale a pena. Sigo em busca do volume seguinte desta coleção.
»»» Nota final (capa e outras considerações):
---- [Capa] – Tal como o volume anterior que li primeiro, também uma compilação, esta capa fica aquém do que considero que seria o seu potencial, mas não engana sobre os intervenientes das histórias.
---- [Desenho e cor] – Continua o desenho de traço fluído, sem grande detalhe, mas bem conseguido que encontrei no volume que li antes, bem como os irritantes olhos semicerrados de Adèle e a mesma palete de cores sombria e pouco entusiasmante. Dito isto, o talento no desenho e coloração está lá e permite-nos sentir imersos na ação.
Comecei a acompanhar a intrépida e despachada madame Adèle pelo 3.º volume (compilação) desta coleção, quando consegui este 1.º(compilação) a um preço simpático agarrei a oportunidade.
»»» A aventura:
Esta edição inclui dois volumes da coleção, o 1.º e o 2.º.
---- [Vol. 1.º - “Adèle e o Monstro”] – A busca de Adèle por uma máquina misteriosa cruza-se com os ataques que Paris sofre por parte de um pterodáctilo que eclodiu de um ovo de dinossauro com milhões de anos em exposição no Museu de História Natural de Paris e com o condenado à morte que o pterodáctilo agarra no momento em que este é colocado sob a guilhotina. Esoterismo e aventura estão por toda esta história, como em todas de Adèle.
---- [Vol. 2.º - “O demónio da Torre Eiffel”] – Adèle acaba ligada à busca por uma antiga estatueta assíria do demónio Pazuzu, tendo como primeira pista uma peça teatral cujo elemento cenográfico principal é uma representação dessa estatueta. Uma morte durante a atuação da peça e um atentado à vida de Adèle fazem-na perseguir com maior vigor o mistério que rodeia a estatueta, que parece matar todos os que se cruzam com ela, colocando a sua vida em perigo. A intervenção em tempo do sempre diligente Inspetor Caponi revela-se essencial a Adéle no confronto final com as forças do mal na Torre Eiffel.
»»» Sentimento final:
Bastante bom.
A minha vontade de ter mais uns vislumbres desta atmosfera esotérica e obscura pelas ruas de Paris cruzado com aventura e mistério não dececionou, pois as premissas e ação de ambas as histórias são bastantes boas.
Dos aspetos que me deixam um pouco aquém das expetativas, face ao potencial que vejo na obra, mantém-se (da minha anterior leitura) o dos olhos sempre semicerrados com que é desenhada a nossa protagonista e as cores báricas. No caso do 1.º volume acresce o início desconcertante da história que parece começar a meio da ação, como se faltasse algo para trás, e o facto de ter muitas personagens parecidas, o que torna parte da história algo confusa e mais difícil de seguir.
O 2.º volume foi dos mais satisfatórios para mim desta coleção, com início, meio e fim e uma excelente porção de suspense e ação.
Vale a pena. Sigo em busca do volume seguinte desta coleção.
»»» Nota final (capa e outras considerações):
---- [Capa] – Tal como o volume anterior que li primeiro, também uma compilação, esta capa fica aquém do que considero que seria o seu potencial, mas não engana sobre os intervenientes das histórias.
---- [Desenho e cor] – Continua o desenho de traço fluído, sem grande detalhe, mas bem conseguido que encontrei no volume que li antes, bem como os irritantes olhos semicerrados de Adèle e a mesma palete de cores sombria e pouco entusiasmante. Dito isto, o talento no desenho e coloração está lá e permite-nos sentir imersos na ação.
November 25, 2012
Another classic Franco-Belgian series in ligne clair style familiar to fans of Tintin, Pilote, and Spirou (or The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which takes obvious cues from Adèle). We have the beautifully rendered backgrounds, with especial care and attention paid to architecture and vehicles, and in the foreground, the people, who are evocative, cartoonish caricatures. As Scott McCloud points out, this is a very effective technique, as it combines the immersive realism of the world with relatable, symbolic characters.
Unfortunately, some of the characters are not quite idiomatic enough, and we sometimes get lost in a sea of mustachio'd men in bowlers and spectacles who are not immediately easy to differentiate. This book is also reminiscent of Tintin in a less appealing way than the art: like early Tintin, it takes itself rather lightly, and the plot, structure, and characterization leave much to be desired. The constant disguises, twists, betrayals, flashbacks, and exposition make a simple adventure needlessly complex. One of the characters even jokes that the plot is 'too convoluted to make a good novel', suggesting that Tardi is doing it deliberately, but I'm not sure why an author would choose to purposefully weak such havoc on their own structure.
I think it could have worked if it had been more madcap, like De Crecy, placing action and wit above all. Sure, it could work to put a straight, driving story into the middle of such convolutions, but there needs to be a central thread to be followed, and the twists should be there as jokes or absurdities set around the main plot, not as the central focus. By the third time some character pops in to explain through flashback what really happened earlier, we've lost all focus.
Adèle herself is particularly lost in the muddle here, neither villain nor hero, motivations and relationships undefined. However, even by the next volume, we can see Tardi beginning to settle in to a more serious, dark tone, and beginning to find a voice that works.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
Unfortunately, some of the characters are not quite idiomatic enough, and we sometimes get lost in a sea of mustachio'd men in bowlers and spectacles who are not immediately easy to differentiate. This book is also reminiscent of Tintin in a less appealing way than the art: like early Tintin, it takes itself rather lightly, and the plot, structure, and characterization leave much to be desired. The constant disguises, twists, betrayals, flashbacks, and exposition make a simple adventure needlessly complex. One of the characters even jokes that the plot is 'too convoluted to make a good novel', suggesting that Tardi is doing it deliberately, but I'm not sure why an author would choose to purposefully weak such havoc on their own structure.
I think it could have worked if it had been more madcap, like De Crecy, placing action and wit above all. Sure, it could work to put a straight, driving story into the middle of such convolutions, but there needs to be a central thread to be followed, and the twists should be there as jokes or absurdities set around the main plot, not as the central focus. By the third time some character pops in to explain through flashback what really happened earlier, we've lost all focus.
Adèle herself is particularly lost in the muddle here, neither villain nor hero, motivations and relationships undefined. However, even by the next volume, we can see Tardi beginning to settle in to a more serious, dark tone, and beginning to find a voice that works.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
December 1, 2014
Zu schade, aber auch beim zweiten Lesedurchgang war mir die Story zu wirr. So fantastisch Tardis Artwork ist, vor allem die Pariser Architektur, so leicht zu verwechseln sind zahlreiche Protagonisten. Und die angebotene Auflösung des verwirrenden Rätsels kann man schließlich nur achselzuckend zur Kenntnis nehmen. Ein übernatürlicher Krimi, der an der Überdosierung seiner Elemente scheitert. Da reißen auch Flugsaurier und Co. nicht mehr das Ruder herum.
September 19, 2021
This book is not without charm, but there’s too much exposition and not enough action. The art is beautiful but everyone looks the same. Tardi makes fun of both of these shortcomings, which adds to the enjoyment, but it’s not enough to make it readable.
May 22, 2020
I had a thought the other day, and it was slightly depressing. Imagine all of the amazing comics out there in different languages that are absolute masterpieces but we can’t experience them because we only know a single or few languages.
Luckily, English speakers have Fantagraphics who make translating foreign language comics a priority, and yet The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec’s first stories from 1976 weren’t translated and published in English until 2010. Even more so, only 4 of the 9 short stories of Adele’s adventures have been published in English in the entire series. This is a huge shame because I love Jacques Tardi.
Either way, Adele Blanc-Sec is a wonderful entry into Tardi’s catalog. When he writes his own work rather than an adaptation, things tend to get a little crazy such as a prehistoric pterodactyl hatching in Paris in the 1910s or a demon god cult spreading the plague from the Eiffel Tower.
One issue that may put readers off is that Tardi in these books usually tells more than he shows, so a lot of the comic is following similar looking men and seeing how Adele maneuvers around them. It’s an interesting cadence. To quote a frame, “Yes, peculiar indeed! Not even fodder for a penny dreadful… Too complicated! No one would understand a word,” which probably is a tongue-in-cheek reference to how some of the readers feel. It’s quintessential Tardi and completely bonkers, but I’m sure fans of Euro comics will enjoy it
Luckily, English speakers have Fantagraphics who make translating foreign language comics a priority, and yet The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec’s first stories from 1976 weren’t translated and published in English until 2010. Even more so, only 4 of the 9 short stories of Adele’s adventures have been published in English in the entire series. This is a huge shame because I love Jacques Tardi.
Either way, Adele Blanc-Sec is a wonderful entry into Tardi’s catalog. When he writes his own work rather than an adaptation, things tend to get a little crazy such as a prehistoric pterodactyl hatching in Paris in the 1910s or a demon god cult spreading the plague from the Eiffel Tower.
One issue that may put readers off is that Tardi in these books usually tells more than he shows, so a lot of the comic is following similar looking men and seeing how Adele maneuvers around them. It’s an interesting cadence. To quote a frame, “Yes, peculiar indeed! Not even fodder for a penny dreadful… Too complicated! No one would understand a word,” which probably is a tongue-in-cheek reference to how some of the readers feel. It’s quintessential Tardi and completely bonkers, but I’m sure fans of Euro comics will enjoy it
February 9, 2019
I originally got this from the library for my daughter, but after reading it myself (thought I should be aware if there were any really problematic stereotypes in a century-old comic), I think she won't like it. There were a dozen interchangeable male characters, impossible to differentiate, and thus the randomness of the plot within a plot within a conspiracy within a plot was incredibly hard to sort in my mind. The Adele character isn't even named until at least half-way thru (because she's kidnapped another woman and is impersonating her), so I was left to guess if she was Adele. It had many lovely panels of Paris -- pgs 14 and 55, for instance -- truly lovely. If you want to practice drawing Parisian architecture by using these panels, have a go. The tiny details such as the black and white floor tile patterns or the carved fireplaces are exquisite. But as a story, it just doesn't meet modern levels of character, plotting, or coherent narrative.
April 27, 2024
I found the first story in this volume very confusing, with many of the characters not even named until near the end, and even then, several of the men looked very similar, and I had a hard time distinguishing them from each other. The plot is told somewhat backwards, which can work well in movies, but was difficult to follow in print. However, the second story clarified - or at least resolved - most of these points, though even then the character and motivations of Adele Blanc-Sec herself seemed somewhat "fuzzy" and ill-defined, as if the reader was expected to have had knowledge of her prior to even opening the book. Even now it is not clear to me if she is more a thief or a detective. I wanted to read this because I enjoyed the movie, and I liked the source material for Luc Besson's Valerian as well, but, unlike those English reprints, there was a lack of introductory information in this volume that was - at least for me - detrimental to understanding and appreciation.
December 12, 2017
Right now I'm reading a massive stack of graphic novels that I have accumulated over the past couple of years but never got around to reading. I had very high hopes for this series and am so disappointed by the reality of it all. As expected, the art is amazing. Lots of clean lines and cartoony faces and bodies placed in an elaborately detailed setting. And the production of the book itself by fantagraphics is top notch. But the story is a confusing mess. I could even overlook this if the characters had some interest or depth, but that was't the case with these two stories. Any credit I give to this goes to the art and book alone. I have a few more Tardi books left to read and I hope they are better...
April 8, 2022
An amusing and entertaining romp through early-1900s Paris, Tardi's esteemed collection features the adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec, who I'm not sure is entirely on the good side. She might seem like a Sherlock Holmes-style investigator but it is remarkable how much she doesn't learn on her own; she mostly finds herself at the right place and the right time to learn about the deeds being done around her. Some parts of the story are confusing, and the narratives are rather implausible, but the illustrations are gorgeous, and well worth the price of acquiring a copy.
January 23, 2024
Couldn’t finish this one. For a story about a dinosaur coming back to life and haunting Paris, it was surprisingly difficult to follow along. Characters constantly refer to the actions of other characters, and I kept wondering, “Wait, who was that?” Most of the male characters have twirly mustaches and wear bowler hats, which made it near impossible to distinguish. It’s a damn shame. The artwork is quite beautiful, it’s evident that Tardi has a good understanding of color palette. I only wish it was served with a better story.
February 4, 2025
Jag ville verkligen gilla den här mer än jag gjorde... När jag var barn, hade mina föräldrar en volym av Tardis Dödens adress och jag har även läst Skyttegravskriget; uppskattade båda. Höga förväntningar inför Tardis äventyrsserie
Tyvärr fann jag den rörig med ett hop karaktärer som dyker upp den ena efter den andra och saknar den väv av förbindelser som t.ex. Greven av Monte Cristo visar (och som förordet jämför Adele's äventyr med). Händelserna är inte heller i sig så underhållande att jag bara dras med utifrån seriens schwung.
Det var kul att ha läst men inte så mycket mer än det.
Tyvärr fann jag den rörig med ett hop karaktärer som dyker upp den ena efter den andra och saknar den väv av förbindelser som t.ex. Greven av Monte Cristo visar (och som förordet jämför Adele's äventyr med). Händelserna är inte heller i sig så underhållande att jag bara dras med utifrån seriens schwung.
Det var kul att ha läst men inte så mycket mer än det.
November 12, 2017
There is no denying that the artwork in this is beautiful. I really feel that the story itself, however, my suffer from translation. Mainly, I found that at times the story jumped over parts. I realize that it's a question of style and it adds to the mystery, but I found it exceedingly difficult to tell the characters apart. The mechanical ptyeradactyl simply seemed to come out of nowhere to solve a problem - deus ex machina.
June 18, 2017
That was really experimental by Tardi. I love his desgin but at these first two albums of the Adele series, there is no clear distinction between the male characters (similar names, similarly drawn) and the story buffles the reader with huge speech bubbles and amateur exposition.
Good thing this mystery-noir story by the french master of suspense improves a bit on the next chapters.
Good thing this mystery-noir story by the french master of suspense improves a bit on the next chapters.
April 6, 2018
The plot moves fast and loose, as if Tardi's just coming up with twists as fast as he can draw each page. Which makes it both fun and unpredictable, and also a bit scatterbrained. Tardi's an excellent page designer, and the art's quite good. The story has moments, but like other Tardi books I've read, I'm not entirely hooked by it. Solid and interesting, but not essential.
April 27, 2019
I already read the older translation of The Demon of the Eiffel Tower, but the new translation is much much better. Also, these two books are meant to be read together. And when I read that book the first time, I didn't appreciate Tardi's historical accuracy and his invocation of early 20th century popular culture.
September 28, 2020
One of those rare times when I finish a book and think, but the movie was soooo much better! The characters weren't well defined or explained and the plot is confusing. The film makes Adele so much more likable and offers explanations for how things actually happened- so definitely check that out.
Extra star because, well, pterodactyl.
Extra star because, well, pterodactyl.
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