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The Arctic Marauder
In its ongoing quest to showcase the wide range of Jacques Tardi’s bibliography, Fantagraphics reaches all the way back to one of his earliest, and most distinctive graphic novels: A satirical, Jules Vernes-esque “retro-sci-fi” yarn executed on scratchboard in a stunningly detailed faux-woodcut style perfectly chosen to render the Edwardian-era mechanical marvels on display. Created in 1972, The Arctic Marauder is a downright prescient example of proto-“steampunk” science fiction — or perhaps more accurately, and to coin a spinoff genre, “icepunk.”
In 1899, “L’Anjou,” a ship navigating the Arctic Ocean from Murmansk, Russia, to Le Havre, France comes across a stunning sight: A ghostly, abandoned vessel perched high atop an iceberg. But exploring this strange apparition is the last thing the sailors will ever do, as their own ship is soon dispatched to Davy Jones’ locker via a mysterious explosion.
Enter Jérôme Plumier, whose search for his missing uncle, the inventor Louis-Ferdinand Chapoutier, brings him into contact with the sinister, frigid forces behind this — and soon he too is headed towards the North Pole, where he will contend with mad scientists, monsters of the deep, and futuristic submarines and flying machines. Told with brio in hilarious slabs of vintage purple prose, The Arctic Marauder works both as ripping good adventure story and parody of same, and, predating as it does the later and not dissimilar Adele Blanc-Sec series, is a keystone in Tardi’s oeuvre in his fantastical mode.
In 1899, “L’Anjou,” a ship navigating the Arctic Ocean from Murmansk, Russia, to Le Havre, France comes across a stunning sight: A ghostly, abandoned vessel perched high atop an iceberg. But exploring this strange apparition is the last thing the sailors will ever do, as their own ship is soon dispatched to Davy Jones’ locker via a mysterious explosion.
Enter Jérôme Plumier, whose search for his missing uncle, the inventor Louis-Ferdinand Chapoutier, brings him into contact with the sinister, frigid forces behind this — and soon he too is headed towards the North Pole, where he will contend with mad scientists, monsters of the deep, and futuristic submarines and flying machines. Told with brio in hilarious slabs of vintage purple prose, The Arctic Marauder works both as ripping good adventure story and parody of same, and, predating as it does the later and not dissimilar Adele Blanc-Sec series, is a keystone in Tardi’s oeuvre in his fantastical mode.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
12 people are currently reading
544 people want to read
About the author
Jacques Tardi
294 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 109 reviews
September 3, 2016
Art: 4 stars. Lovely, impressive, and striking -- except for the people themselves. The characters are not very interesting visually or in personality. Quite bland. But the machinery is neat and all the natural scenes are amazing.
Story: 3 stars. Good job getting the period adventure tone, but it just isn't that exciting (perhaps because, again, the characters are so flat).
Prose: 2 stars. Snore.
Story: 3 stars. Good job getting the period adventure tone, but it just isn't that exciting (perhaps because, again, the characters are so flat).
Prose: 2 stars. Snore.
June 18, 2016
The second best thing about this book is that the publisher calls it "ice punk" instead of "steam punk" because it is a Jules Verne-type story set in the Arctic, in 1889.
The best thing is the artwork, so gorgeous to look at, black and white, meticulously drawn settings, interestingly drawn characters.
The worst thing is the story/dialogue. Too many words! Let the pictures tell the story!
The second worst thing might be the story itself, which I didn't much care for. A ghost ship atop an iceberg signals death for the planet, or does it?
Well, Tardi creates three basic categories of graphic novels, as far as I can tell: 1) fantastic adventures, like this one; 2) Brutally realistic WWI antiwar stories, and 3) noir crime stories. I like the adventures the least, though you can't fault this amazing artist for being boring or dispassionate. He's one of the greats. My favorites are his war stories, by far.
The best thing is the artwork, so gorgeous to look at, black and white, meticulously drawn settings, interestingly drawn characters.
The worst thing is the story/dialogue. Too many words! Let the pictures tell the story!
The second worst thing might be the story itself, which I didn't much care for. A ghost ship atop an iceberg signals death for the planet, or does it?
Well, Tardi creates three basic categories of graphic novels, as far as I can tell: 1) fantastic adventures, like this one; 2) Brutally realistic WWI antiwar stories, and 3) noir crime stories. I like the adventures the least, though you can't fault this amazing artist for being boring or dispassionate. He's one of the greats. My favorites are his war stories, by far.
May 12, 2012
Let me preface by saying that the illustrations in this graphic novel are by far some of the best pieces of artwork that I have ever seen! When artwork this good is placed next to text, the story pales in comparison. Such is the case with this graphic novel.
A ship is sailing peacefully in the arctic when a crewman spots another ship perched atop an iceberg. The captain from the first ship sends a dinghy out to the stranded ship in hopes of saving the passengers or at least discovering how the ship got there. When they arrive, they find that all of the crewman on the stranded ship have frozen at their posts. The men turn around in time to see their own ship explode before their eyes. Their future seems beyond bleak and the perched ship sends them on a mysterious journey.
In many ways, the story is classic Steampunk. The graphic novel is in an oversized format which perfectly fits the larger than life tale. The drawings are absolutely beautiful and far outshines the writing, which is also lovely. I truly wanted to love this graphic novel and while I adored the drawings, I did not fall in love with the overall package. Therefore, I have to give it three stars as I found the story confusing and secondary to the illustrations.
www.iamliteraryaddicted.blogspot.com
A ship is sailing peacefully in the arctic when a crewman spots another ship perched atop an iceberg. The captain from the first ship sends a dinghy out to the stranded ship in hopes of saving the passengers or at least discovering how the ship got there. When they arrive, they find that all of the crewman on the stranded ship have frozen at their posts. The men turn around in time to see their own ship explode before their eyes. Their future seems beyond bleak and the perched ship sends them on a mysterious journey.
In many ways, the story is classic Steampunk. The graphic novel is in an oversized format which perfectly fits the larger than life tale. The drawings are absolutely beautiful and far outshines the writing, which is also lovely. I truly wanted to love this graphic novel and while I adored the drawings, I did not fall in love with the overall package. Therefore, I have to give it three stars as I found the story confusing and secondary to the illustrations.
www.iamliteraryaddicted.blogspot.com
June 7, 2011
I hate to give a low review to a graphic novel with art this gorgeous, but I'm afraid I have to. My advice - find a copy at a bookstore and flip through it slowly, because the artwork is breathtaking. Just be sure that when you do, you don't read any of the text boxes or dialog balloons, because the writing is so very, very awful.
If you pick up 50s and 60s American comics, you may notice that often the writers didn't trust the illustrators to tell their story, so they put enough description in the text to let you know what was going on if you couldn't figure it out from looking at the pictures. Since Jacques Tardi was both writer and artist, I can't figure why he didn't trust his gorgeous pictures to tell his story, but the text is so horribly overwritten that it sinks the entire graphic novel like an iceberg. The dialog is so flat and wooden as to make Stan Lee's seem naturalistic.
I don't know - maybe it all sounds better in French.
If you pick up 50s and 60s American comics, you may notice that often the writers didn't trust the illustrators to tell their story, so they put enough description in the text to let you know what was going on if you couldn't figure it out from looking at the pictures. Since Jacques Tardi was both writer and artist, I can't figure why he didn't trust his gorgeous pictures to tell his story, but the text is so horribly overwritten that it sinks the entire graphic novel like an iceberg. The dialog is so flat and wooden as to make Stan Lee's seem naturalistic.
I don't know - maybe it all sounds better in French.
June 12, 2023
Un homenaje a Julio Verne y los folletines de aventuras de la segunda mitad del s. XIX que empieza muy bien pero que, como eran otros tiempos (1974) y quedaban muchos años para "La liga de los caballeros extraordinarios" y el pastiche con pretensiones, Tardi es incapaz de tomárselo en serio y no tarda en derivar a una parodia humorística que no me ha funcionado en absoluto. A pesar de ello, en lo gráfico es otro cantar, Tardi se inspira y homenajea a los ilustradores literarios y periodísticos de la época y el resultado es espectacular, a pesar de los ladrillos a lo Blake y Mortimer que se marca en alguna ocasión.
August 7, 2024
Beautiful steampunk adventure by the great Jacques Tardi, one of my most treasured books !
I mention it among my favorites by Tardi here:
https://youtu.be/dmCp795Lvsk
February 27, 2018
Another superb comic by Tardi. Some would argue that main premise of the story (with the mad scientists) is, not far-fetched but, a bit basic.
I have enjoyed it myself, it has this surreal aura that covers adele blanc-sec too. And the illustrations are out of this world, "arctic marauder" is one of the best examples of Tardi's mastership. Pity we didn't get to see a continuation of the main arc.
Here he's not simple, simple as in nestor burma and la debauche. Here he lets himself go, he's extravagant and I love it.
I have enjoyed it myself, it has this surreal aura that covers adele blanc-sec too. And the illustrations are out of this world, "arctic marauder" is one of the best examples of Tardi's mastership. Pity we didn't get to see a continuation of the main arc.
Here he's not simple, simple as in nestor burma and la debauche. Here he lets himself go, he's extravagant and I love it.
May 16, 2011
I haven't done a great job of perusing graphic novels pre-Sandman and Watchmen, so I'm not familiar with Jacques Tardi or with comics in general from the 70s. This book struck me as indicative of the general vibe I have gotten from what little pre-80s comics work I have seen - it doesn't take itself very seriously. It's been pointed out that The Arctic Marauder can be read as a parody of its genre, but I didn't get that from my reading at all - the plot developments and devices seemed lazy and nonsensical rather than self-aware and satirical.
The artwork is fantastic, very well suited to the story contents, and that story does have all the elements of a fantastic adventure yarn, but the whole thing felt like...a contractual work that Tardi HAD to do, so he threw down a mad mess of story elements, the result being a work that feels like Tardi rolling his eyes at the genre rather than smartly critiquing in parody. Maybe I didn't know quite what to expect from a 1974 book originally written in France...?
The artwork is fantastic, very well suited to the story contents, and that story does have all the elements of a fantastic adventure yarn, but the whole thing felt like...a contractual work that Tardi HAD to do, so he threw down a mad mess of story elements, the result being a work that feels like Tardi rolling his eyes at the genre rather than smartly critiquing in parody. Maybe I didn't know quite what to expect from a 1974 book originally written in France...?
March 24, 2014
This caught my attention as an early steampunk title. Like a lot of other reviewers, I was enthralled by the artwork but disappointed by the writing. It is my understanding that this is supposed to be a satirical work, but the references to Jules Verne, etc. just seemed laughingly unclever and lazy. The villains are delightfully evil in action and appearance, but the main character's sudden turn to the dark side makes no sense at all.
October 21, 2020
Ice in the shrouds! A wicked plot! A mysterious uncle! A doomsday machine! A watery grave!
Very silly, but all good fun.
Very silly, but all good fun.
Read
November 7, 2017I read The Arctic Marauder by Jacques Tardi. This book was very strange. It starts with a man named Jerome on a ship in the arctic ocean. They spot another ship just floating on an iceberg at sea and go to investigate. When they get on to the other ship, their ship blows up for absolutely no clear reason. Jerome is puzzled by this and goes to visit his uncle for some advice, but when he arrives it appears that his uncle is dead. Jerome sets out of Brest on a ship that is going to try and figure out why so many ships have been sinking in the same area lately. On their trip, the ship seems to be hit with something and sinks. Jerome thinks he is as good ad dead but wakes up in a bed inside of the iceberg, where is uncle and another guy essentially explain to him how they are going to try and kill everyone in the world by launching diseases.
The art in this book is all black and white with some shading. The pictures are very descriptive and show a lot of detail, I really enjoyed the artwork. I didn’t like any of the characters in this book. At first, Jerome seems like a cool guy, but then his uncle and uncle’s friend tell him about their plan to create a disease ridden world and Jerome seems fine with it. Both Jerome’s uncle and his Uncle’s friend are not nice people and not likeable. My reacted to this book was eh, it wasn’t awful but I didn't really enjoy it. I would maybe recommend it to someone that is interested in like mechanics but other than that I don’t think I’d recommend it.
The art in this book is all black and white with some shading. The pictures are very descriptive and show a lot of detail, I really enjoyed the artwork. I didn’t like any of the characters in this book. At first, Jerome seems like a cool guy, but then his uncle and uncle’s friend tell him about their plan to create a disease ridden world and Jerome seems fine with it. Both Jerome’s uncle and his Uncle’s friend are not nice people and not likeable. My reacted to this book was eh, it wasn’t awful but I didn't really enjoy it. I would maybe recommend it to someone that is interested in like mechanics but other than that I don’t think I’d recommend it.
August 10, 2018
While there is not a great amount of material in this book in terms of actual story length, I still thought that this was an incredible graphic novel. The richness of detail, and the playing with the form of comics made this an incredibly beautiful book. Every page was a work of art that begged to be studied further, and every frame of this book contained a multitude of lines were inspired. The story itself bordered on lovecraftian, but by the end became more a reimagined 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea mixed with some Island of Dr. Moreau, and while I felt these characters could have possessed slightly more depth, but the end I was sold because Jacques Tardi never betrays the "feeling" of this book.
It remains to the end a strange and weird and wonderful work.
It remains to the end a strange and weird and wonderful work.
January 26, 2023
Second Edition = September 2011 = $16.99
It's GRIM. I'd advise a tolerance for unabashed evil!
It's a "Captain Nemo" refitting but focusing on nefariousness that exhibits how science can be wielded by the maniacal. I cannot reveal more, for surprise purposes, but knowledge of "2000 Leagues Under the Sea" makes this a more appreciated read.
It's GRIM. I'd advise a tolerance for unabashed evil!
It's a "Captain Nemo" refitting but focusing on nefariousness that exhibits how science can be wielded by the maniacal. I cannot reveal more, for surprise purposes, but knowledge of "2000 Leagues Under the Sea" makes this a more appreciated read.
April 10, 2021
Good-looking, but it’s a bad translation and a self-consciously silly (Verne-like) plot which ends without resolving anything. Like a long advert for itself, or for scratchboard.
October 31, 2023
Great art, interesting story (I have a soft spot for Verne and polar exploration tales) but the ending is rushed and it's missing that 'something'.
January 17, 2025
Previše kratko, ali vrlo simpatično
March 10, 2013
Neste brilhante livro de Tardi tudo, desde a história à ilustração, funciona como uma profunda e respeitosa homenagem ao género de romance de aventuras com invenções mecânicas, percursor do que hoje chamamos ficção científica. Naufrágios misteriosos e um falecimento igualmente obscuro em Paris levam um jovem a descobrir o tenebroso segredo que se oculta dentro de um iceberg que cruza os mares do norte: uma instalação científica onde dois génios científicos unem esforços para piratear as embarcações que por azar se lhes atrevesse no caminho enquanto envidam esforços para dominar a humanidade com as suas máquinas de guerra científicas. Se um espírito de curiosidade bondosa anima o jovem, ao contactar com estes cientistas depressa se deixa levar pelo lado obscuro e se torna um jovem aprendiz. Os esforços de uma agente secreta trazem as jóias da marinha de guerra francesa, que numa batalha decisiva destroem o iceberg. Mas os nossos perigosos cientistas fogem num aparelho voador, para se refugiarem numa base secreta nas profundezas das selvas e continuarem a sua luta pelo domínio do mundo.
Tardi deixa traços literários que recordam os romances de aventuras de Júlio Verne e as estruturas narrativas do romance em folhetim do século XIX. Mas não termina aqui a vénia ao fin de siècle. Conhecedores da ilustração da época, em gravuras detalhadas onde o traço e as sombras criadas por linhas hachuradas abriam na imaginação os espaços visuais que posteriormente a fotografia veio preencher vão ficar surpresos pela forma como este autor replica na prancha de banda desenhada os traços estilísticos, apesar de manter o seu estilo individual. The Ice Marauder é um daqueles raros livros que vale pelo seu valor intríseco de divertida obra de ficção e pela profunda vénia aos antepassados do género no final do século XIX.
Tardi deixa traços literários que recordam os romances de aventuras de Júlio Verne e as estruturas narrativas do romance em folhetim do século XIX. Mas não termina aqui a vénia ao fin de siècle. Conhecedores da ilustração da época, em gravuras detalhadas onde o traço e as sombras criadas por linhas hachuradas abriam na imaginação os espaços visuais que posteriormente a fotografia veio preencher vão ficar surpresos pela forma como este autor replica na prancha de banda desenhada os traços estilísticos, apesar de manter o seu estilo individual. The Ice Marauder é um daqueles raros livros que vale pelo seu valor intríseco de divertida obra de ficção e pela profunda vénia aos antepassados do género no final do século XIX.
January 1, 2021
Originally published in France in 1974, this early work by the fantastic artist Jacques Tardi is either a homage to the steampunk stylings of Jules Verne or a satire of it. It opens with a young French medical student sailing from Murmansk up and around Finland, Sweden, etc down to Le Havre in 1889. He barely survives a wreck in those Arctic waters and comes home to Paris to discover his eccentric uncle has died. He then hears about further mysterious shipwrecks in the waters he almost perished in, and decides to return and investigate. The story then devolves into some impressive mad scientist mumbo-jumbo, with the student along for the ride. It's all set up for a second adventure, which Tardi evidently never pursued.
But forget the story, because the book's attraction is the ar. It's an absolutely gorgeous black and white volume that feels like etchings or fine woodblock prints at times. The panelling manages to impress on its own, without being distracting. At times, it feels almost art nouveau, with soaring vertical panels built around circular central medallions. While the people are cartoony, some of the urban street scenes and harbor scenes are brilliantly photo-realistic. So too are depictions of various steampunk contraptions, which almost look like technical diagrams. All in all, it's a penny-dreadful story given a royal artistic treatment it doesn't really deserve.
But forget the story, because the book's attraction is the ar. It's an absolutely gorgeous black and white volume that feels like etchings or fine woodblock prints at times. The panelling manages to impress on its own, without being distracting. At times, it feels almost art nouveau, with soaring vertical panels built around circular central medallions. While the people are cartoony, some of the urban street scenes and harbor scenes are brilliantly photo-realistic. So too are depictions of various steampunk contraptions, which almost look like technical diagrams. All in all, it's a penny-dreadful story given a royal artistic treatment it doesn't really deserve.
March 10, 2014
My English teacher told me I had to read this story. Honestly the driest moments of my entire life. The art is not equally distributed to the massive amounts of texts. In my opinion this is a short story that they added a few words to... There is very little closure and the conversations are way too wordy. The art is still interesting at least (Honestly the only reason I stuck out to the end of the story). I do however enjoy the ending of this story, but I'm positive it was not worth the wait. I do find how they talk in this book quite laughable, "ZOUNDS! What happened her? Let us proceed below decks" (12). Seriously? Who talks like that? I know they're french, but why is that even necessary? I also have a sick sense of humor and live in the middle of a hicktown so proper English is not something common to hear.
I would recommend this story to people that actually enjoy a story that takes a while to develop and has a long introduction. I personally would not recommend any of my friends to read this because I know they wouldn't be able to sit through it. Tread lightly.
I would recommend this story to people that actually enjoy a story that takes a while to develop and has a long introduction. I personally would not recommend any of my friends to read this because I know they wouldn't be able to sit through it. Tread lightly.
August 10, 2011
I'm surprised at some of the low ratings this has gotten. First of all, it's totally "icepunk" as the blurb on the back states, but it was written in 1974. Predating LoEG, among others. I think some of the issue might be with the translation - in places it's a little clunky. But it's also supposed to be a pulp comic. Also, it was done with SCRATCHBOARD!! SCRATCHBOARD!! The scene where Jerome wakes up alone should give it an extra star for that.
April 11, 2012
I feel like it would be cooler to give this book more stars, but I just liked it, not really liked it. The artwork merits 5 stars. It's incredible. But the story itself is not that gripping. I kind of like that the characters are mundane, but I had to fight to finish the book, and a few months after reading it, I question whether or not I actually reached the ending because I have no memory of it. Still, I want to read everything Tardi ever illustrated. Because it's cool.
May 16, 2012
Absolutely exquisite artwork. The artist makes the very most of B&W illustration - they look like etchings or woodcuts, with incredible detail and drama. Story is a Jules Verne take-off - "icepunk", as they cleverly call it. Highly recommended.
September 1, 2015
Good story, great artwork.
July 6, 2016
Steampunk! Great, great B&W art by the fabulous Tardi.
Recommended.
Recommended.
December 20, 2023
Žak Tardi - Ledeni demon (Stalker)
Mladi francuski student medicine, Žerom Plimje, putnik je na brodu Anžuj, koji ide od Murmanska do Avra. Nailazi na brod Ajslend Loufer koji je zaglavljen na vrhu ogromnog ledenog brega. Na brodu će pronaći smrznutog kapetana koji pokazuje na specifično mesto na mapi. Anžuj iznenada eksplodira, a preživele će spasiti holandski brod.
Žerom, vraćajući se u Pariz da pronađe svog ujaka Šaputjea, saznaje za njegovu smrt. Dok pretražuje kuću svog ujaka, on dolazi do zapanjujućih otkrića, uključujući i mašinu nepoznate namene. Vrativši se kući, saznaje da je još jedan brod potonuo na istom mestu kao i Anžuj i time je broj nestalih brodova porastao na 8 u poslednjih 6 meseci. Žerom odlučuje da sazna šta se tamo dešava i odlazi da se ukrca na brod Žil Vernez. Na ovom brodu se nalazi 18 stručnjaka koji su deo naučnog tima zaduženog da razluči misteriju ledenih bregova. Hoće li ekspedicija doći do rešenja zagonetke?
Ledeni demon je među prvim Žakovim albumima i objavljen je 1974. godine, kada je mladi autor imao svega 28 leta. Vidno inspirisan najpoznatijim piscem naučno fantastičnih romana Žilom Vernom i slikarom Gistavom Doreom, Tardi nam predstavlja pravi stimpank avanturistički triler koji je nacrtan i šrafiran kao ilustracije koje su krasile stare knjige. Priča mnogo podseća na 20.000 milja pod morem, ali uvodeći elemente humora i apsurda, Tardi Ledenog demona udaljava od "kopije" poznatog Vernovog dela i daje mu svoj lični pečat.
Iako se Ledeni demon naglo završava, meni se kraj sviđa i ne bih voleo da vidim potencijalne nastavke, jer ovakvim krajem dobijamo nešto što nije baš svakidašnje.
Crtež je atmosferičan, sa odličnim odnosom crne i bele boje i sa grotesknim likovima. Zapravo, crtež je baš onakav, kakav će Tardija pratiti kroz celu karijeru i kojeg slobodno možemo nazvati pravim "Tardijevskim."
Ledeni demon je strip koji je ispred svog vremena i kojeg nije načeo zub vremena. Dajte šansu ovom klasiku, koji je davno nastao, ali nije ni malo dosadan i čita se u jednom dahu. Pružiće vam zanimljivu, apsurdnu i napetu avanturu.
Naslov koji biblioteku Zonu učvršćuje kao jednu od najboljih na našim prostorima.
8/10 ⭐
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1E1_6lsM...
Mladi francuski student medicine, Žerom Plimje, putnik je na brodu Anžuj, koji ide od Murmanska do Avra. Nailazi na brod Ajslend Loufer koji je zaglavljen na vrhu ogromnog ledenog brega. Na brodu će pronaći smrznutog kapetana koji pokazuje na specifično mesto na mapi. Anžuj iznenada eksplodira, a preživele će spasiti holandski brod.
Žerom, vraćajući se u Pariz da pronađe svog ujaka Šaputjea, saznaje za njegovu smrt. Dok pretražuje kuću svog ujaka, on dolazi do zapanjujućih otkrića, uključujući i mašinu nepoznate namene. Vrativši se kući, saznaje da je još jedan brod potonuo na istom mestu kao i Anžuj i time je broj nestalih brodova porastao na 8 u poslednjih 6 meseci. Žerom odlučuje da sazna šta se tamo dešava i odlazi da se ukrca na brod Žil Vernez. Na ovom brodu se nalazi 18 stručnjaka koji su deo naučnog tima zaduženog da razluči misteriju ledenih bregova. Hoće li ekspedicija doći do rešenja zagonetke?
Ledeni demon je među prvim Žakovim albumima i objavljen je 1974. godine, kada je mladi autor imao svega 28 leta. Vidno inspirisan najpoznatijim piscem naučno fantastičnih romana Žilom Vernom i slikarom Gistavom Doreom, Tardi nam predstavlja pravi stimpank avanturistički triler koji je nacrtan i šrafiran kao ilustracije koje su krasile stare knjige. Priča mnogo podseća na 20.000 milja pod morem, ali uvodeći elemente humora i apsurda, Tardi Ledenog demona udaljava od "kopije" poznatog Vernovog dela i daje mu svoj lični pečat.
Iako se Ledeni demon naglo završava, meni se kraj sviđa i ne bih voleo da vidim potencijalne nastavke, jer ovakvim krajem dobijamo nešto što nije baš svakidašnje.
Crtež je atmosferičan, sa odličnim odnosom crne i bele boje i sa grotesknim likovima. Zapravo, crtež je baš onakav, kakav će Tardija pratiti kroz celu karijeru i kojeg slobodno možemo nazvati pravim "Tardijevskim."
Ledeni demon je strip koji je ispred svog vremena i kojeg nije načeo zub vremena. Dajte šansu ovom klasiku, koji je davno nastao, ali nije ni malo dosadan i čita se u jednom dahu. Pružiće vam zanimljivu, apsurdnu i napetu avanturu.
Naslov koji biblioteku Zonu učvršćuje kao jednu od najboljih na našim prostorima.
8/10 ⭐
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October 18, 2022
A stylish Graphic Novel with the unbridled imagination of a classic adventure novel, Jacques Tardi has crafted a historical sci-fi that references the likes of Jules Verne while creating something uniquely his own. I always enjoy a period nautical tale and the visuals for this really perfectly evoke that haunting aesthetic. The story itself has several issues but it moves swiftly enough and is such a visual feast that the overall ride is a dark and absorbing romp.
The art is a combination of comic book nostalgia and antique lithograph imagery. The composition of the frames are stunning and distinctive. The narrative is bubbling over with so much creativity and big ideas that it often gets bogged down in some very extensive exposition. The science doesn't make complete sense but that is almost a given in a story like this so it might have been more effective to focus on the world building and character development. The characters are especially one dimensional and their arcs are disappointing, to say the least. The real protagonist of the story is not revealed until the latter half and even that feels like more of an afterthought than a true reveal.
The ending seems to be possibly setting up a sequel but I'm not sure that the reader will necessarily want to follow these particular characters in another installment unless there are some additional characters added that the audience can really root for. Still this graphic novel was brisk, fun and addictive. The visuals are unique and beautifully stylized. The Arctic Marauder is a quirky and winsome adventure tale full of campy science fiction and an impressive sense of wonder.
The art is a combination of comic book nostalgia and antique lithograph imagery. The composition of the frames are stunning and distinctive. The narrative is bubbling over with so much creativity and big ideas that it often gets bogged down in some very extensive exposition. The science doesn't make complete sense but that is almost a given in a story like this so it might have been more effective to focus on the world building and character development. The characters are especially one dimensional and their arcs are disappointing, to say the least. The real protagonist of the story is not revealed until the latter half and even that feels like more of an afterthought than a true reveal.
The ending seems to be possibly setting up a sequel but I'm not sure that the reader will necessarily want to follow these particular characters in another installment unless there are some additional characters added that the audience can really root for. Still this graphic novel was brisk, fun and addictive. The visuals are unique and beautifully stylized. The Arctic Marauder is a quirky and winsome adventure tale full of campy science fiction and an impressive sense of wonder.
May 21, 2020
The Arctic Marauder is truly one of those comics that ends in a “wtf?!” Since this comic was originally published in 1975 and only translated to English in 2011, it breaks what we know of comics as they are today and reminds me that bandes dessinees from 40 years ago were their own different beast. The comic was coined as a sort of Icepunk fantasy comic, and it features a lot of scenes in the frozen arctic. It is astonishingly beautiful, often vague but with a lot of exposition, and has some of the strangest narrative structure that I’ve seen in a long time.
The bad guys kinda win in a way. It happens within 5 pages. It ended and I instantly looked up if there was a sequel, and I couldn’t find anything. Unlike some other books that leave you satisfied, I needed to know the next bit of story because I was so astonished. This works both towards the book’s benefit and detriment.
The art is the biggest stunner of the book. It will leave you breathless and give you the instant feeling of the arctic in its overwhelmingly frigid atmosphere. Apparently, the art was done on scratchboard like a print and was not drawn with pen and ink. It is both clearly Jacques Tardi and something else entirely.
Overall, I’d recommend this book, but I would do that with every Tardi book. It defies conventions and writes its own destiny.
The bad guys kinda win in a way. It happens within 5 pages. It ended and I instantly looked up if there was a sequel, and I couldn’t find anything. Unlike some other books that leave you satisfied, I needed to know the next bit of story because I was so astonished. This works both towards the book’s benefit and detriment.
The art is the biggest stunner of the book. It will leave you breathless and give you the instant feeling of the arctic in its overwhelmingly frigid atmosphere. Apparently, the art was done on scratchboard like a print and was not drawn with pen and ink. It is both clearly Jacques Tardi and something else entirely.
Overall, I’d recommend this book, but I would do that with every Tardi book. It defies conventions and writes its own destiny.
February 2, 2021
A mysterious iceberg, sinking ships, a missing uncle, and a woman in black all suddenly appear in the life of Jerome, a Frenchman of unknown origin. We don't get to learn much about Jerome except that he was on a ship that blew up while exploring a different frozen vessel perched upon the top of a tall iceberg. He and the crew were rescued and upon his return home, he finds that his uncle has died.
This leads him on a journey to not only find his uncle but also why ships are sinking near this strange iceberg. It's an interesting story, but there is little to no character development which makes the climax of the story less impactful as you don't really of any attachment for Jerome or his uncle. I think the decision to write the story from an odd omniscient narrator adds to the failure of character development.
The ending was really odd and the decisions of Jerome throughout seem to make zero sense based on what we knew about him at the beginning of the story. I hope I didn't give too much away, but I would say this graphic novel is only worth skimming for its art and not worth reading for its story. The art in this book is amazingly detailed and dizzying to look at. The steampunk machinery and backgrounds are skilled and fantastic. The story itself was interesting, but the characters were flat. It's a mighty letdown from that perspective.
This leads him on a journey to not only find his uncle but also why ships are sinking near this strange iceberg. It's an interesting story, but there is little to no character development which makes the climax of the story less impactful as you don't really of any attachment for Jerome or his uncle. I think the decision to write the story from an odd omniscient narrator adds to the failure of character development.
The ending was really odd and the decisions of Jerome throughout seem to make zero sense based on what we knew about him at the beginning of the story. I hope I didn't give too much away, but I would say this graphic novel is only worth skimming for its art and not worth reading for its story. The art in this book is amazingly detailed and dizzying to look at. The steampunk machinery and backgrounds are skilled and fantastic. The story itself was interesting, but the characters were flat. It's a mighty letdown from that perspective.
January 7, 2017
So that was a thing. I didn't hate "The Arctic Marauder", but I didn't love it either, nor is it something I imagine I'll be telling people about in the future. It's a Jules Verne-esque adventure of a young man searching for the answer as to why ships keep blowing up. The evil-wins ending was reminiscent of playground games where the schoolyard bully kept creating more and more stupid reasons to win in that "everything proof shield" kind of way. And I was waiting. I was waiting for the main character to just go "nah" and take care of the bad guys himself. But no, he did go evil as well. Huh. It was an okay story with art that I liked until I realized the main character looked like Dan Avidan of the Game Grumps. Then I just couldn't take this book seriously. Which is sad, because it did have an old-school thriller vibe, but then it just got goofy.
September 4, 2023
Cómic de la primera época de Tardi, dibujado en blanco y negro con el estilo de las ilustraciones que acompañaban a los viajes extraordinarios de Julio Verne, con una imaginativa composición de página que se adecua a lo que se quiere mostrar o a la acción.
Unos barcos desaparecen en un lugar concreto del Círculo Polar Ártico de forma misteriosa y el protagonista que logra escapar de una explosión en un barco en que viajaba, acaba enrollados en una expedición para descubrir que esta pasando.
El descubrimiento de un glaciar artificial que se relaciona con un invento de su tío, muestra unas ideas similares a los personajes "anti sistema" de Verne como puede ser el capitán Nemo y una construcción innovadora pero que se utiliza con un fin malévolo.
La lectura es ágil, la trama es absorbente y destaca el dibujo que imita las ilustraciones de las novelas de siglo XIX.
Unos barcos desaparecen en un lugar concreto del Círculo Polar Ártico de forma misteriosa y el protagonista que logra escapar de una explosión en un barco en que viajaba, acaba enrollados en una expedición para descubrir que esta pasando.
El descubrimiento de un glaciar artificial que se relaciona con un invento de su tío, muestra unas ideas similares a los personajes "anti sistema" de Verne como puede ser el capitán Nemo y una construcción innovadora pero que se utiliza con un fin malévolo.
La lectura es ágil, la trama es absorbente y destaca el dibujo que imita las ilustraciones de las novelas de siglo XIX.
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