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Afrika
Dark Horse proudly presents this gorgeously illustrated masterpiece by Belgian comics creator Hermann, available in English for the first time! A misanthropic European expatriate, Dario Ferrer, acts as guardian of a Tanzanian wildlife preserve. Accompanied by Charlotte, a naive European journalist, Ferrer discovers a village under fire from mysterious agents of the foreign-backed government. Ferrer and Charlotte must fight not only to protect the preserve, but to expose government corruption - and survive to see another day. Born in 1938, Hermanns childhood was marked by WWII and the early need to earn a living on his own. He tried various professions and studied fine arts in Belgium, but he didn''t get into comic books until later in life when his first story was published in a magazine. In 1979 he started his first solo volume, Jeremiah, which he continues publishing today. He is known to be a hard-working, demanding writer constantly attempting new things. His works include Comanche and Towers of Bois-Maury among others.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
3 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Hermann Huppen
418 books51 followersHermann was born in 1938 in Bévercé (now a part of Malmedy) in Liège Province. After studying to become a furniture maker and working as interior architect, Hermann made his debut as comic book artist in 1964 in the comics magazine Spirou with a four page story. Greg noticed his talent and offered him to work for his studio. In 1966, he began illustrating the Bernard Prince series written by Greg, published in the comic magazine Tintin periodical. In 1969, also in collaboration with Greg, he began the western series Comanche. This appeared at the same time as other western series such as Blueberry.
Hermann began writing his own stories in 1977, starting the post-apocalyptic Jeremiah series, which is still produced today. In the same period, he also made three albums of Nick, inspired by Little Nemo in Slumberland, for Spirou.[1] In 1983 he began a new series, Les Tours de Bois-Maury, which is set in the Middle Ages and is less focused on action than his other works.
Hermann has also created many non-series graphic novels sometimes together with his son Yves H. One of them, Lune de Guerre, with a story by Jean Van Hamme, was later filmed as The Wedding Party by Dominique Deruddere.[2]
Hermann is characterized by a realistic style and stories that are both somber and angry, with a sense of disillusion with regards to the human character in general, and current society more specifically.
http://www.hermannhuppen.com/hermann-...
Hermann began writing his own stories in 1977, starting the post-apocalyptic Jeremiah series, which is still produced today. In the same period, he also made three albums of Nick, inspired by Little Nemo in Slumberland, for Spirou.[1] In 1983 he began a new series, Les Tours de Bois-Maury, which is set in the Middle Ages and is less focused on action than his other works.
Hermann has also created many non-series graphic novels sometimes together with his son Yves H. One of them, Lune de Guerre, with a story by Jean Van Hamme, was later filmed as The Wedding Party by Dominique Deruddere.[2]
Hermann is characterized by a realistic style and stories that are both somber and angry, with a sense of disillusion with regards to the human character in general, and current society more specifically.
http://www.hermannhuppen.com/hermann-...
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 13, 2017
Od Hermanna sam davno čitao nešto Comanchea, kojeg se uopće ne sjećam i Jeremiaha dvaput, a nedavno sam u knjižnici vidio da je nacrtao i hrpu kratkih samostalnih albuma. Afrika mi se činila najzanimljivijim pa sam krenuo s njim. I ostao sam poprilično razočaran.
Predivana paleta boja i Hermannov prepoznatljivi crtež lijepo dočaravaju Afriku, ali sama priča je puna klišeja i nije mi bila nimalo zanimljiva.
Glavni lik je emocijonalno uskraćeni idealist koji bi trebao biti pozitivac, ali tu je ponovno izražen sindrom bijelog zaštitnika Afrike (o čemu sam već pisao u osvrtu na Kililana song). On hladnokrvno ubija lovokradice kao da su oni glavni problem istrebljenja afričkih životinja, a ne bogataši koji plaćaju egzotični trofej ili "lijek" za potenciju.
Predivana paleta boja i Hermannov prepoznatljivi crtež lijepo dočaravaju Afriku, ali sama priča je puna klišeja i nije mi bila nimalo zanimljiva.
Glavni lik je emocijonalno uskraćeni idealist koji bi trebao biti pozitivac, ali tu je ponovno izražen sindrom bijelog zaštitnika Afrike (o čemu sam već pisao u osvrtu na Kililana song). On hladnokrvno ubija lovokradice kao da su oni glavni problem istrebljenja afričkih životinja, a ne bogataši koji plaćaju egzotični trofej ili "lijek" za potenciju.
March 28, 2012
Art Work: I found the art work in this comic incredibly beautiful. The medium used appears to be watercolour and the colours really evoke a sense of Africa; earthy and neutral and yet also bright and sensual. The animals are really captured beautifully too; the bulls haunches are shining in the sun and the tiger looks as though it is stepping out of the page. I really loved looking at the images whilst I was reading as they really added depth to the narrative.
I really enjoyed this little comic. As I have already mentioned, the art work was lovely and the characters were really brought to life; very expressive and even though little dialogue was used for some you really got a sense of who they were (for example: Dario's 'lover' (not sure what their relationship was!) The Africa that was pictured was quite a 'Lion King' Africa; a very earthy, very wild and untamed place teeming with animals. This worked because it was set on an animal reserve- if it wasn't I would have been dubious!
The story begins in a way that we are all familiar with; an ignorant European journalist goes into the wilds of Africa and freaks out a little bit. She finds it hard to handle seeing baby hippopotamuses being ripped limb from limb by crocodiles and such like. Her sensitivity is attributed, by Dario, to the 'civilised' world that he perceives she is from which has softened her against raw, natural brutality and instead made her blind to the brutality that exists all around her amongst humans. They both see each other's worlds as savage.
Dario is a likeable character. He is very rough around the edges and doesn't say much, but he definitely gets his point across in the few words he does say! He acts tough but there is always a little tremor of emotion when he hears of animals being unnecessarily killed, whether in his ranch or another, and you can tell that underneath the tough act he is rather sweet (something we definitely discover right at the end). He cares about the planet and sneers at Charlotte (the journalist's) society which pollutes the Earth and destroys the flora and fauna that Africa is rich with. There is definitely an ecological message in there...even if he does fly around in a plane quite a lot! The parallel narrative of the fat cat government officials sitting around planning bombs and...things (I wasn't really sure to be honest...testing bombs in the animal reserves?) definitely portrayed the government as the corrupt bad guys...something I do not disagree with! People keep taking from Africa because there are no consequences- I like it that a character like Dario means there are consequences and he makes them pay for exploiting the land.
Once the action and the chase kick in I did find it quite suspenseful! As there had been some quite unforgiving and sudden violence earlier on I didn't quite know if they would live or die, which I loved. However, it does all happen quite suddenly...I think it could have been paced a little better. One moment Dario is never going to leave Africa...the next he is fleeing it without so much as a backward glance. It seemed a bit odd while I was reading it!
There are some sexy moments. Some boob displayage. Some kinky times. Personally I enjoyed it; I like my comics with extra violence and extra nakedness. It is a tad gratuitous but it does fit the plot and added extra depth to the narrative I felt so I think it was justified!
My only complaint really was the dialogue, which I felt was a little rocky and confusing at times. The same things kept being repeated in different (and not very interesting) ways such as the beauty of Africa, Dario's lover's jealousy, another man winding her up about it...it felt quite unnecessary and nothing new was really being added!
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this comic and would definitely recommend it. It is short and sweet and I loved the ending. It is meaningful but not overly preachy. 4/5 Stars.
April 3, 2012
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!! DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT THE ENDING RUINED!!!!
A beautifully illustrated Graphic Novel that left me feeling like something was lost in translation. I have to wonder if I would have understood it, and therefore enjoyed it more had I been able to read it in its original language (the story was originally published in Belgium, and this is its first English presentation.)
Maybe I am just not familiar enough with African politics to really get the message the story was trying to convey, and none of the characters are really developed enough for me to have truly become invested in their outcomes - Charlotte is mostly just whiny and annoying, and Dario is SO aloof and uncommunicative that in the end, I didn't really care that he went out in a blaze of glory in a Kamikaze suicide mission to destroy the government officials that tried to have him killed in the first place.
Still, perhaps the story will find a more receptive audience in those who DO understand Africa and who love it much like Dario did, and the beautifully detailed artwork alone made up for the holes in the story for me.
A beautifully illustrated Graphic Novel that left me feeling like something was lost in translation. I have to wonder if I would have understood it, and therefore enjoyed it more had I been able to read it in its original language (the story was originally published in Belgium, and this is its first English presentation.)
Maybe I am just not familiar enough with African politics to really get the message the story was trying to convey, and none of the characters are really developed enough for me to have truly become invested in their outcomes - Charlotte is mostly just whiny and annoying, and Dario is SO aloof and uncommunicative that in the end, I didn't really care that he went out in a blaze of glory in a Kamikaze suicide mission to destroy the government officials that tried to have him killed in the first place.
Still, perhaps the story will find a more receptive audience in those who DO understand Africa and who love it much like Dario did, and the beautifully detailed artwork alone made up for the holes in the story for me.
March 10, 2019
Непогана історія про темний бік Африки - від браконьєрства до заувальованого геноциду. Достеменно мені важко було зрозуміти, що хотів сказати Герман, адже сама історія не завжди виразна у своїх повідомленнях, а також переклад бажає кращого. Відчувається, наскільки прямо й невигадливо перекладено з французької на англійську, особливо у використанні деяких реплік. Проте малюнок тут чудовий! Герман майстерно працює з контурами, аквареллю, витворюючи справді красивий африканський пейзаж, що також гостро контрастує на фоні людської ненависті й жадоби до грошей і влади. Не найкраща, але добротна історія.
September 26, 2010
Dario Ferrer, el heroe en Afrika, es una especie de anti-heroe muy usado en las historias de Hermann, con un oscuro secreto, capaz de acabar con amenazas externas y como guardian de la estepa africana y sus animales por los cuales siente un gran amor. El esta casado con una mujer local, que es constamente buscada por un vecino, que quiere que deje a Dario. El giro que da su vida es al conocer a Charlotte, una periodista que por ganar una nota, se meten en un problema con el gobierno local, que es brutal con sus enemigos. Excelente historia y arte.
March 11, 2012
Beautiful art, engaging storyline. Seemed a bit rushed, and more time could have been spent for character development. In the end, maybe unintentionally shows how the "land" can become beholden to the whims of men perpetually, protagonist included. Everyone gets what they want from "Africa."
October 30, 2022
Here, a maverick white saviour type, running an animal reserve in Somewheristan, Africa, is latched on to by a female journalist, but when they think the worst they might encounter is poachers, and are proven wrong, a battle for survival begins. It's not too bad, and certainly looks fine, but the gnomic man of mystery character in the lead has been done too often, and the very cagey way the story refuses to pin the location down (the baddies demanding of each other they don't let our heroes reach "the neighbouring capital") hampers things. Not as revealing about Africa's dog-eat-dog nature as it thinks it is, it's still worth a look.
November 13, 2023
Splendido affresco del maestro Hermann del problema del bracconaggio (ma non solo, anche della corruzione politica) dell'Africa equatoriale, visto attraverso gli occhi (e le azioni) di una guardia forestale europea, ex mercenario, e di una giornalista/fotografa, anch'essa europea, che dovrebbe scrivere un reportage sui bracconieri. Fumetto di denuncia come pochi, il grande autore belga riesce a trasmettere l'amore per il continente africano e la sua natura, che dovrebbe stare a cuore a tutti noi, e che invece interessa solo a parole, dimostrando ancora una volta di più come il peggiore animale di tutti sia quello bipede: l'uomo.
February 3, 2019
Hikayesinin kurgusu güzel, çizgiler akıcı ve fotorealistik ancak özellikle renklendirmesi oldukça karmaşık bir kitap Afrika.
Bir milli park'ta kaçak avcılara karşı mücadele veren Dario Ferrer'in, haber yapmak için o bölgeye gelen bir gazeteci / foto muhabir ile birlikte, katliamcı bir komşu ülkenin askerlerine karşı verdikleri mücadele anlatılıyor kısaca kitapta.
Bu mücadelenin, kaçmaya odaklanmış olması Dario Ferrer'i daha gerçekçi bir kahramana dönüştürüyor. Hikaye de daha gerçekçi ve güzel hale geliyor böylece.
Bir milli park'ta kaçak avcılara karşı mücadele veren Dario Ferrer'in, haber yapmak için o bölgeye gelen bir gazeteci / foto muhabir ile birlikte, katliamcı bir komşu ülkenin askerlerine karşı verdikleri mücadele anlatılıyor kısaca kitapta.
Bu mücadelenin, kaçmaya odaklanmış olması Dario Ferrer'i daha gerçekçi bir kahramana dönüştürüyor. Hikaye de daha gerçekçi ve güzel hale geliyor böylece.
January 19, 2020
Hermannin käsittämättömän upeat näkymät tarkemmin määrittelemättömään Afrikkaan nostavat lopulta aika keskinkertaisen käsikirjoituksen nautittavaksi kokemukseksi. Vaikka käsikirjoituksessa on mukana Bois-Mauryn tornien kaltaista synkeää fatalismia, kääntyy yleissävy Afrikassa pikemminkin kohti misantropiaa ja nihilismiä kuin minkäänlaista toivoa. Silti mukana on aimo annos kauneutta, ja luonnon majesteettisuus rinnastetaankin tehokkasti ihmisen pikkumaisuuteen ja vaarallisuuteen.
February 6, 2022
Hermann Huppen's art is honestly breathtaking, and this book is worth picking up for that alone.
The plot was enjoyable enough, a short political intrigue spy mystery, type of deal. None of the characters really blew me away, and I thought the dialogue was pretty bad in places, but it's difficult to know if that's a result of translation or not.
The plot was enjoyable enough, a short political intrigue spy mystery, type of deal. None of the characters really blew me away, and I thought the dialogue was pretty bad in places, but it's difficult to know if that's a result of translation or not.
November 19, 2022
3.5
Lo mejor de este libro es el arte, muchas páginas son como una pintura digna de imprimir y enmarcar, aunque de vez en cuando se filtra una que otra inconsistencia. La historia se siente pequeña pero está bastante bien contada y termina siendo suficientemente poderosa para atrapar (me lo leí en una sentada).
Lo mejor de este libro es el arte, muchas páginas son como una pintura digna de imprimir y enmarcar, aunque de vez en cuando se filtra una que otra inconsistencia. La historia se siente pequeña pero está bastante bien contada y termina siendo suficientemente poderosa para atrapar (me lo leí en una sentada).
March 13, 2021
I forgot that I pre-ordered this and thought it was Barry Windsor-Smith! ... entertaining story with lush artwork.
That ending... hmm. He kills two guys he used to work with? Then kamikaze mission...? Whatever, I'd love to see more Hermann.
That ending... hmm. He kills two guys he used to work with? Then kamikaze mission...? Whatever, I'd love to see more Hermann.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2018
Uma história complexa, mas bem estruturada. Os desenhos são muito bons, ainda que a economia das vinhetas não seja de todo inovadora. Um livro de BD ao estilo clássico, mas que vale a pena ler!
August 10, 2018
WOW!
I plan on reading whatever else Huppen has in English y Español!!
I plan on reading whatever else Huppen has in English y Español!!
May 20, 2020
Beautiful drawings. Nice story... Would have liked it to last longer...
August 19, 2021
Com um argumento mais fraco que o habitual, Hermann deixa-nos um álbum com um desenho irrepreensível em tons condizentes com o tema - África.
A ler (ver), para quem gosta de BD e de Hermann.
A ler (ver), para quem gosta de BD e de Hermann.
August 6, 2022
The story is disjointed and the art ranges from beautiful to terrible. Otherwise, it was the okayest thing I’ve read recently.
March 19, 2022
Ouf, c'est juste si on s'en sort de cette jungle étouffante et bourré de moustiques, tout transpirant et haletant... les dessins de Hermann sont, comme d'habitude, époustouflants... Une des meilleurs BD solo de l'auteur... Un régal!...
July 9, 2012
Hermann is a widely acclaimed author and illustrator of graphic novels from Belgium.
In Afrika he tells us the story of Dario Ferrer who lives and works in a wildlife reserve in Tanzania.
At the moment Dario is pretty angry because he’s just lost a rhino, and to make things even worse, an uninvited guest arrives; a young and kind of naïve journalist called Charlotte, who’s been sent there by a common acquaintance, Yan Lefort.
Right from the start Dario feels enraged by this woman who seems to think that she knows everything, while in fact she knows almost nothing about what goes on in the region. And as if that’s not enough she decides to show him how wrong he is in doing what he’s doing, since there’s always a better way.
What does he do? Well, he pays the poachers in their own currency. If he meets them he shoots them, if he finds them while hunting, he hunts them like the animals they intend to kill. He’s a hard-ass and doesn’t give a damn about what the people think about him.
Well, time will prove him right and sooner rather than later Charlotte will come to realize that corruption rules the day there, that poaching is an everyday brutal practice and that the local government officials are only interested in doing business with the foreigners.
In the end Dario is the only person that stands between the criminals and the elimination of a big part of the wild-animals kingdom. As the future will show, he’s also the only one that can save her life, as their by then common enemies, will sent a ruthless man after them to teach them a lesson; a final lesson.
Hermann delivers to the reader a somewhat short but beautifully written and illustrated story that sheds plenty of light on the grim subject at hand, but he also creates an unforgettable character. Dario has his set of values and beliefs for which he’s willing to fight and/or even die. He’s as hardcore as they come, but he’s no super-hero, he has his weaknesses, and it’s exactly those that make him look more human than most.
The author makes us believe in this hero and somehow he also manages to plant into our heads the idea that if people like him really existed someplace out there, this world would be a much better place to live in. Dario may be violent, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not fair, and in the end that’s all that counts.
In Afrika he tells us the story of Dario Ferrer who lives and works in a wildlife reserve in Tanzania.
At the moment Dario is pretty angry because he’s just lost a rhino, and to make things even worse, an uninvited guest arrives; a young and kind of naïve journalist called Charlotte, who’s been sent there by a common acquaintance, Yan Lefort.
Right from the start Dario feels enraged by this woman who seems to think that she knows everything, while in fact she knows almost nothing about what goes on in the region. And as if that’s not enough she decides to show him how wrong he is in doing what he’s doing, since there’s always a better way.
What does he do? Well, he pays the poachers in their own currency. If he meets them he shoots them, if he finds them while hunting, he hunts them like the animals they intend to kill. He’s a hard-ass and doesn’t give a damn about what the people think about him.
Well, time will prove him right and sooner rather than later Charlotte will come to realize that corruption rules the day there, that poaching is an everyday brutal practice and that the local government officials are only interested in doing business with the foreigners.
In the end Dario is the only person that stands between the criminals and the elimination of a big part of the wild-animals kingdom. As the future will show, he’s also the only one that can save her life, as their by then common enemies, will sent a ruthless man after them to teach them a lesson; a final lesson.
Hermann delivers to the reader a somewhat short but beautifully written and illustrated story that sheds plenty of light on the grim subject at hand, but he also creates an unforgettable character. Dario has his set of values and beliefs for which he’s willing to fight and/or even die. He’s as hardcore as they come, but he’s no super-hero, he has his weaknesses, and it’s exactly those that make him look more human than most.
The author makes us believe in this hero and somehow he also manages to plant into our heads the idea that if people like him really existed someplace out there, this world would be a much better place to live in. Dario may be violent, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not fair, and in the end that’s all that counts.
May 16, 2012
If you've been reading my blog for awhile you'll know that I love books about Africa fiction or non-fiction I read a lot of stuff about the continent (I want to live there one day). So when I saw that this graphic novel (I love graphic novels thanks to Mr.Turning The Pages!) was available for review on NetGalley I HAD to have it. Lucky for me they accepted my request.
Once I first opened the Galley on e-pub I was blown away by the art work. It's superbly illustrated by a true master of sequential art. For me this was my first time reading anything by this legendary writer and illustrator. The artwork is perfectly suited for the story line and you can tell that the whole piece was put together with a deft hand and it is in fact a masterpiece.
While it is only 64 pages long the graphic novel seems much longer than that due to the way the story of Dario is told through both the written word and the artwork. While reading it much of Dario's nature come out not only by what is being read but through the illustrations which Huppen coordinated beautifully.
This is definitely for a more mature audience just because of sex, swearing and mature situations, but really who am I kidding the kids are still going to read it. At least they can learn how to appreciate artwork from a master. I love the mastery in which the tale was woven and it gave me a real sense of adventure to read it, almost as if I were there with Dario hearing the gunfire or trapezing through the bush.
Once I first opened the Galley on e-pub I was blown away by the art work. It's superbly illustrated by a true master of sequential art. For me this was my first time reading anything by this legendary writer and illustrator. The artwork is perfectly suited for the story line and you can tell that the whole piece was put together with a deft hand and it is in fact a masterpiece.
While it is only 64 pages long the graphic novel seems much longer than that due to the way the story of Dario is told through both the written word and the artwork. While reading it much of Dario's nature come out not only by what is being read but through the illustrations which Huppen coordinated beautifully.
This is definitely for a more mature audience just because of sex, swearing and mature situations, but really who am I kidding the kids are still going to read it. At least they can learn how to appreciate artwork from a master. I love the mastery in which the tale was woven and it gave me a real sense of adventure to read it, almost as if I were there with Dario hearing the gunfire or trapezing through the bush.
January 21, 2014
I'm not exactly sure when or where I stumbled across this little gem but I'm glad that I did. What happens when you take a psychological thriller, toss it in to the middle of an African national park, and combine that with the political turmoil that we've heard so often coming from this great continent?
Afrika tracks the life of Dario Ferrer as he watches over a Tanazian national park and protects the animals from poachers. One day a photojournalist arrives on his door step from his past and he must confront his own demons while keeping the photojournalist safe from roaming armies.
Action packed from start to finish.
Afrika tracks the life of Dario Ferrer as he watches over a Tanazian national park and protects the animals from poachers. One day a photojournalist arrives on his door step from his past and he must confront his own demons while keeping the photojournalist safe from roaming armies.
Action packed from start to finish.
May 20, 2016
If I were rating this work on only the artwork I would have given it 6 stars...that is how much I appreciated the talent of the artist. However, the storyline is muddled, and suffers from "white man savior complex (in this case defender of nature)". I realize that some of the problems with the writing might simply be due to a case of bad translating.
November 13, 2014
the watercolors are nice... I'm not personally a huge fan of political thrillers or chronicles of idealistically obsessed but emotionally-stunted men. But, it is what it is.
Of course, if they remade this as a limited tv "event" starring Bear Grylls, I'd probably watch it.
Of course, if they remade this as a limited tv "event" starring Bear Grylls, I'd probably watch it.
December 21, 2014
Beautifully illustrated, but with a wooden translation that sucks out some of its power.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews