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XIII #1-3
[The Day of the Black Sun (XIII)] [By: Hamme, Jean Van] [August, 2010]
Volume One, The Day of the Black Sun, collects the first three volumes of the best-selling smash European sensation into one giant-sized edition. Trade Paperback by Marvel
Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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302 people want to read
About the author
Jean Van Hamme
748 books181 followersJean Van Hamme, is a Belgian novelist and comic book writer. He has written scripts for a number of Belgian/French comic series, including Histoire sans héros, Thorgal, XIII, Blake and Mortimer, Lady S and Largo Winch.
More on the brilliant, Jean Van Hamme:
http://lambiek.net/artists/v/van-hamm...
More on the brilliant, Jean Van Hamme:
http://lambiek.net/artists/v/van-hamm...
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 6, 2015
Beautiful art--it's like a 1970's fashion catalogue sprung to life and pulled guns. the backgrounds and vehicles are particularly impressive: clean and precise as a draftsman's. The story is plucked from the original Bourne Identity, but the writing is much crisper and more moving than Ludlum's aimless, sprawling volumes. I did feel the translation was a bit stilted--not as good as other Franco-Belgian comics I've enjoyed--but it was one of those rare cases in which an interesting, well-paced story made up for lackluster dialogue and the occasional overly-lengthy bit of exposition.
Fun story, I'm curious to see if the big reveals will be as interesting as the clues we're getting, or if this will eventually turn into another rambling soap with no satisfying end, like LOST, Battlestar Galactica, or X Files.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
Fun story, I'm curious to see if the big reveals will be as interesting as the clues we're getting, or if this will eventually turn into another rambling soap with no satisfying end, like LOST, Battlestar Galactica, or X Files.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
March 28, 2015
I just finished Robert Ludlum's excellent thriller "The Bourne Identity" and was stunned by how similar the opening sequences were to what I remembered from the first volume in the iconic series XIII by William Vance and Jean Van Hamme. So I re-read "Le Jour du Soleil Noir" and must say I am surprised that there has never been a lawsuit for plagiarism.
But I checked, and there never was! I looked through the internet and could not find even a trace of anybody mentioning the similarity of the plots. Also, both were published around the same time, Robert Ludlum's thriller in 1980 and, as far as I know, XIII vol 1 in 1984.
Both plots have an amnesiac as a central character, both protagonists slowly uncover what just might be their real names, both are physically well-trained and possess military-style fighting skills. Both speak foreign languages, and both are good-looking dudes.
Fair enough - so far the similarities may have been generic. But the opening sequences of "Soleil Noir" show XIII washed up on the shore of a North American small fishing village (identical in "Bourne"). XIII is then gradually nursed back to life by the local doctor (identical), who is an ex-surgeon (identical) and a drunk (identical). Later in the plot, XIII learns that he is an assassin (identical) only to find out at some point that he is not (identical).
Still, there are sufficient details in the plot that are not identical to break this theme of similarities, and in the later volumes of the series the similarities come to an end. Still, how uncannily similar at least the opening sequences of the two plots!
And what did I think of it? Well, I have not just read the first volume but read through the first eight, until "Treize Contre Un". And I must say, I am a bit underwhelmed. For a series that enjoys such standing amongst BD, and is created by arguably one of the best writer/artist duos in the genre, I thought the plot was oddly inconsequential, and the artwork a bit sloppy, certainly in the first volumes.
What I disliked in particular was that the twists and turns in the search for XIII's identity were mostly just given to the reader. Hardly ever did XIII actually do any work to uncover clues, or force characters into revealing some of the backstory. Usually, the sort of stuff that happens is this: XIII offs two killers who are after him and finds a photograph on one of them. The photo shows himself with a young woman, and on the back of it is printed the address of the photoshop which developed it (remember this is 1984, digital cameras did not exist yet). He takes himself to the town in the address, and starts looking for traces of himself in the local registrar office. He does not find anything but - wait for it - sees an open folder on the desk of the municipal clerk handling the registers, and in this folder is - patience, yes, you guessed it - the photo and the address of the woman on the photo!
Heureka! Great detective work. One clue leads to the next, like in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, and finally he is subjected to hours of explanation of who he might be by another character in the story. And unfortunately, as the series progresses, this form of presentation gets worse. So far, it has found its tedious climax in "La Nuit de 3 Aout", in which one character actually reads him part of his backstory from a journal!
Not only is this dull and boring, it also misses completely the point of BD. If i want to read a novel, I go and read a novel. It is clear enough that Van Hamme is not a very good writer, and I am not surprised in the slightest that his brief venture into novel-writing in the 70s did not meet with success. So why do I have to sit through pages and pages of badly written verbiage, when what I would like is a well-crafted BD? Also, while XIII is being read all this, he is basically immobile, sitting in a chair, or on a bench. Vance does not render these sequences masterfully with what could have been atmospheric drawings - so the effect really is tedium, I am afraid.
And finally, a word on XIII himself. For a highly-trained military-style fighter he allows himself to be overpowered by just about anybody, and also all the time! In many scenes, he does not extricate himself from the predicament in question by his own skill, but relies on others to rescue him.
So, I am afraid to say, what remains, after eight volumes of XIII, is mostly disappointment. XIII remains rather passive, and is being driven through his adventures by chance happenings, the help of his fellow-characters, and the tendency of his creators to serve his story to the reader on a silver platter.
But I checked, and there never was! I looked through the internet and could not find even a trace of anybody mentioning the similarity of the plots. Also, both were published around the same time, Robert Ludlum's thriller in 1980 and, as far as I know, XIII vol 1 in 1984.
Both plots have an amnesiac as a central character, both protagonists slowly uncover what just might be their real names, both are physically well-trained and possess military-style fighting skills. Both speak foreign languages, and both are good-looking dudes.
Fair enough - so far the similarities may have been generic. But the opening sequences of "Soleil Noir" show XIII washed up on the shore of a North American small fishing village (identical in "Bourne"). XIII is then gradually nursed back to life by the local doctor (identical), who is an ex-surgeon (identical) and a drunk (identical). Later in the plot, XIII learns that he is an assassin (identical) only to find out at some point that he is not (identical).
Still, there are sufficient details in the plot that are not identical to break this theme of similarities, and in the later volumes of the series the similarities come to an end. Still, how uncannily similar at least the opening sequences of the two plots!
And what did I think of it? Well, I have not just read the first volume but read through the first eight, until "Treize Contre Un". And I must say, I am a bit underwhelmed. For a series that enjoys such standing amongst BD, and is created by arguably one of the best writer/artist duos in the genre, I thought the plot was oddly inconsequential, and the artwork a bit sloppy, certainly in the first volumes.
What I disliked in particular was that the twists and turns in the search for XIII's identity were mostly just given to the reader. Hardly ever did XIII actually do any work to uncover clues, or force characters into revealing some of the backstory. Usually, the sort of stuff that happens is this: XIII offs two killers who are after him and finds a photograph on one of them. The photo shows himself with a young woman, and on the back of it is printed the address of the photoshop which developed it (remember this is 1984, digital cameras did not exist yet). He takes himself to the town in the address, and starts looking for traces of himself in the local registrar office. He does not find anything but - wait for it - sees an open folder on the desk of the municipal clerk handling the registers, and in this folder is - patience, yes, you guessed it - the photo and the address of the woman on the photo!
Heureka! Great detective work. One clue leads to the next, like in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, and finally he is subjected to hours of explanation of who he might be by another character in the story. And unfortunately, as the series progresses, this form of presentation gets worse. So far, it has found its tedious climax in "La Nuit de 3 Aout", in which one character actually reads him part of his backstory from a journal!
Not only is this dull and boring, it also misses completely the point of BD. If i want to read a novel, I go and read a novel. It is clear enough that Van Hamme is not a very good writer, and I am not surprised in the slightest that his brief venture into novel-writing in the 70s did not meet with success. So why do I have to sit through pages and pages of badly written verbiage, when what I would like is a well-crafted BD? Also, while XIII is being read all this, he is basically immobile, sitting in a chair, or on a bench. Vance does not render these sequences masterfully with what could have been atmospheric drawings - so the effect really is tedium, I am afraid.
And finally, a word on XIII himself. For a highly-trained military-style fighter he allows himself to be overpowered by just about anybody, and also all the time! In many scenes, he does not extricate himself from the predicament in question by his own skill, but relies on others to rescue him.
So, I am afraid to say, what remains, after eight volumes of XIII, is mostly disappointment. XIII remains rather passive, and is being driven through his adventures by chance happenings, the help of his fellow-characters, and the tendency of his creators to serve his story to the reader on a silver platter.
May 2, 2020
Ένα από τα καλύτερα κατασκοπικά θρίλερ σε κόμικς (1984), το οποίο είναι διαποτισμένο με το 'πνεύμα' του Ψυχρού Πολέμου της δεκαετίας του '80. Οι βινιέτες είναι πολύ διαφωτιστικές και δημιουργικές, ενώ η ιστορία άκρως ενδιαφέρουσα, έχοντας ως κεντρικό άξονα τον αγώνα ενός άνδρα με 'σκοτεινό' παρελθόν να ξαναβρεί τη μνήμη του, αλλά και την χαμένη του ζωή.
Βαθμολογία: 4,3/5 ή 8,6/10.
Βαθμολογία: 4,3/5 ή 8,6/10.
March 16, 2019
Vi la serie con Stuart Townsend y un amigo me sugirió que "leyera el cómic" por supuesto no se equivocaba. El diseño es como antiguo y vintage y con un detalle precioso que los comics actuales parecen haber olvidado porque nadie dibuja en tinta de verdad. Me encantó definitivamente voy a seguir la serie de cómics
December 15, 2015
Fantástico, o primeiro álbum desta lendária série de BD. Com suspense nos momentos certos e inesperada noutros, começa aqui uma boa história que tem tudo para resultar nos álbuns seguintes. Veremos...
June 16, 2024
🔅 Je ne sais pas si je réussirais à lire l'entièreté de la saga, car il s'agit quand même de 28 tomes, et même si ce ne sont que des BD c'est énooorme, il peut encore se passer tellement de chose, passionnante ou non d’ailleurs 😅 donc à voir.
Première impression quand j'ai ouvert la bd, l'écriture ne va pas, elle est trop petite, pour les planches il y a le sens du détail, mais je n'aime pas ce style, l'histoire à réussi à me faire passer outre.
Mon tome préféré des 3 premiers est le 3eme car il se passe dans un endroit que j'aime bien.
L'histoire est assez addictive car on part sur quelqu'un d'amnésique qui se fait courser par tout le monde, on commence à découvrir le pourquoi mais chaque personne a une identité pour lui et quand on croit connaître enfin son identité on se rend compte que finalement non, enfin je pense être mené en bateau à 200% mais je pense que je ne découvrirai pas la vérité de sitôt.
Cette intrigue est cool et ça se lit vite.
Première impression quand j'ai ouvert la bd, l'écriture ne va pas, elle est trop petite, pour les planches il y a le sens du détail, mais je n'aime pas ce style, l'histoire à réussi à me faire passer outre.
Mon tome préféré des 3 premiers est le 3eme car il se passe dans un endroit que j'aime bien.
L'histoire est assez addictive car on part sur quelqu'un d'amnésique qui se fait courser par tout le monde, on commence à découvrir le pourquoi mais chaque personne a une identité pour lui et quand on croit connaître enfin son identité on se rend compte que finalement non, enfin je pense être mené en bateau à 200% mais je pense que je ne découvrirai pas la vérité de sitôt.
Cette intrigue est cool et ça se lit vite.
January 27, 2023
Who am I? a powerful question that can drive a human against impossible extremities of this world.
A man in his thirties washes up at a remote holiday home occupied by an elderly couple. He’s unconscious, barely alive, and with a bullet wound on his head with no idea of his past, only clue to his identity is the roman numeral XIII tattooed on his collar bone.
Now the story kick off, when he is threatened by a couple of assassins and believe me when I say 'All hell breaks loose' when he starts to search for his identity and reason for his deserted state which leads to him across the American soil to an unbelievable political conspiracy that could change the history of free world forever!
Van Hamme’s plot is powerful and vivd characters that leaves with a scar in our memories forvever, but it’s brought to life by William Vance's brilliant artwork.
A man in his thirties washes up at a remote holiday home occupied by an elderly couple. He’s unconscious, barely alive, and with a bullet wound on his head with no idea of his past, only clue to his identity is the roman numeral XIII tattooed on his collar bone.
Now the story kick off, when he is threatened by a couple of assassins and believe me when I say 'All hell breaks loose' when he starts to search for his identity and reason for his deserted state which leads to him across the American soil to an unbelievable political conspiracy that could change the history of free world forever!
Van Hamme’s plot is powerful and vivd characters that leaves with a scar in our memories forvever, but it’s brought to life by William Vance's brilliant artwork.
October 18, 2021
Cant get enough European/translated comics. This one was French but the english version is readable. Guy washes up on a beach with a gunshot wound and complete amnesia. Cant remember his identity is but retains his lethal assassin skills and has mysterious bank account number tattoo. Sound familiar? Ludlum wrote Bourne in 1980. I think this is from 1984? Solid but short read. 1/24. Plot leaves you wanting to know more.
May 22, 2023
Pulpy as hell with plenty of twists and turns, but the thrills grow tedious after the excellent first issue.
August 17, 2024
The Day of the Black Sun (XIII, #1-3)
by Jean Van Hamme It is a good graphic novel about amnesiac searching for his identity.
by Jean Van Hamme It is a good graphic novel about amnesiac searching for his identity.
November 14, 2024
Stripčina, genijalno.
March 23, 2017
Un thriller apasionante con un dibujo elegante y una narrativa gráfica excelente. Se hace corto, pero es un album. Ojalá dinero infinito para leer el resto.
August 25, 2016
How many times did I read this Book one? The answer is countless times. How many hours I have gazed upon some of the images (two images given below) The answer to this question is also countless hours.
Image 1 source Google image search
Why this comic captivated me? there are many things to say but I feel the story, the characters XIII, Martha and the art work should be.
An old couple named Abe and Sally living somewhere in coastal US happens to see a critically wounded man washed ashore. They call license revoked Surgeon Martha to attend, she treats the mystery man. The old couple who had lost their only son in the war showers love to XIII.
Couple of days later XIII shows recovery but he cannot remember anything, the bullet wound in his head, a tattoo "XIII" in the collarbone, a key sewn into the collar of his shirt is what remains with him.
The alcoholic Martha stays away from her bad habit. Everything looks beautiful and seems to be settled but one day while Alan (XIII was named as Alan, after their son by the old couple) and Martha return from the seashore, they both see the dog Pronto dead and the old couple were killed in their sleep. The thugs start to attack Alan, his reflex action saves him. After this encounter Alan gets a photo from the dead thug Chuck. In the photo Alan is seen along with a girl.
After seeing the photo Alan did not get any hint who she is and in what way she is related. On the back of the photo the photographers name and address was printed. Martha asks Alan to go away as the thugs may come again. Alan leaves to East Town to find the photographer and the girl in the photo.
Did Alan find who he is and why he was shot? Why was he chased by thugs? Did he come to know about that girl? all these questions will be answered in the remaining pages of the comic.
Image 2 source Google image search
I first read the Tamil version of this comic in the year 1987. And after more than two decades, I purchased the full book of XIII. Although I have read all the chapters, I liked the first chapter very much.
Image 1 source Google image search
Why this comic captivated me? there are many things to say but I feel the story, the characters XIII, Martha and the art work should be.
An old couple named Abe and Sally living somewhere in coastal US happens to see a critically wounded man washed ashore. They call license revoked Surgeon Martha to attend, she treats the mystery man. The old couple who had lost their only son in the war showers love to XIII.
Couple of days later XIII shows recovery but he cannot remember anything, the bullet wound in his head, a tattoo "XIII" in the collarbone, a key sewn into the collar of his shirt is what remains with him.
The alcoholic Martha stays away from her bad habit. Everything looks beautiful and seems to be settled but one day while Alan (XIII was named as Alan, after their son by the old couple) and Martha return from the seashore, they both see the dog Pronto dead and the old couple were killed in their sleep. The thugs start to attack Alan, his reflex action saves him. After this encounter Alan gets a photo from the dead thug Chuck. In the photo Alan is seen along with a girl.
After seeing the photo Alan did not get any hint who she is and in what way she is related. On the back of the photo the photographers name and address was printed. Martha asks Alan to go away as the thugs may come again. Alan leaves to East Town to find the photographer and the girl in the photo.
Did Alan find who he is and why he was shot? Why was he chased by thugs? Did he come to know about that girl? all these questions will be answered in the remaining pages of the comic.
Image 2 source Google image search
I first read the Tamil version of this comic in the year 1987. And after more than two decades, I purchased the full book of XIII. Although I have read all the chapters, I liked the first chapter very much.
February 20, 2017
I need more.
The cliche plot certainly bumps it down, but I expect the story to get better as we go.
3.5/5
The cliche plot certainly bumps it down, but I expect the story to get better as we go.
3.5/5
October 26, 2013
Because Jean Van Hamme is part of the group of writers who brought back Blake and Mortimer, I thought I'd check out one of his other efforts. This 1984 book (only recently translated into English) is a slim, opening chapter of what is apparently a longer saga.
The premise isn't particularly original -- a man washes up on a remote beach with no clue to his identity except the number XIII tattooed on his neck. The appearance of assassins kicks off his search for clues, and it slowly appears that he is some sort of secret agent -- and a pawn in a much larger plot.
This first book is all clues and few, if any, answers. And that makes it hard to rate. The trick for the writer of something like this is to make you want to pick up the next book and follow the story.
And . . . it's intrigued me a bit, but I'm not going to make a special order. The next time I order another book, I might add on the next in this series and see where it goes. But there wasn't enough in this first book to really hook me.
The artwork is clear and tells the story well, but doesn't distinguish itself. It's very workman-like, and feels very much like something done 30 years ago. Which is to say, you're not going to be drawn in to particular panels or sequences.
Everything here is quite average, and an average rating for an average book feels about right.
The premise isn't particularly original -- a man washes up on a remote beach with no clue to his identity except the number XIII tattooed on his neck. The appearance of assassins kicks off his search for clues, and it slowly appears that he is some sort of secret agent -- and a pawn in a much larger plot.
This first book is all clues and few, if any, answers. And that makes it hard to rate. The trick for the writer of something like this is to make you want to pick up the next book and follow the story.
And . . . it's intrigued me a bit, but I'm not going to make a special order. The next time I order another book, I might add on the next in this series and see where it goes. But there wasn't enough in this first book to really hook me.
The artwork is clear and tells the story well, but doesn't distinguish itself. It's very workman-like, and feels very much like something done 30 years ago. Which is to say, you're not going to be drawn in to particular panels or sequences.
Everything here is quite average, and an average rating for an average book feels about right.
November 15, 2015
This comic, again, was recommended to me by my best friend. While I enjoy American and Japanese Comics/Mangas she is a fan of the French/Belgian style, and I thought I might give it a try as well! (I read a German translation, by the way.)
I really liked the art style. It only took me about two pages to get used to it and start discovering its 1980s, Belgian charme! Also, the story seems quite nice and this surely was a thrilling and well done debut!
I am excited to read the second volume!
I really liked the art style. It only took me about two pages to get used to it and start discovering its 1980s, Belgian charme! Also, the story seems quite nice and this surely was a thrilling and well done debut!
I am excited to read the second volume!
February 14, 2013
I am not a fan of the spy genre, but I found that the graphic novel form was a great way to tell the story. It is exciting and I did not want to put it down. It is more than just a 'spy' story, it is also part conspiracy, and is improved because the reader knows no more about what is going on than the protagonist. I shall definitely be buying the next part of the story.
September 5, 2016
Al ser una saga muy larga de cómics, solo reseñaré éste. Cuenta la historia de un hombre que despierta en la costa amnesico, con las únicas posesiones de la llave de un banco y un tatuaje que indica XIII. Partiendo de esta premisa, se crea una trama de conspiraciones frenética que combina realidad y ficción de manera increíble. Imposible dejar de leerlos.
July 26, 2011
Quite an interesting start, but sometimes the storyline depends too much on coincidence. It hasn't become annoying yet, but if the following books keep up this type of storytelling, it certainly will.
May 26, 2015
Not as good as READING The Bourne Identity, but better than watching the Bourne films. And way better than the many "secret agent with amnesia" knock-offs.
November 14, 2013
While I appreciate seeing any of that great 1970s Euro art translated into English, this didn't cut it with me. This feels a little similar to the Bourne Identity.
February 25, 2014
Un pezzo di storia del fumetto che era in attesa sullo scaffale da un po' troppo tempo
April 18, 2017
I read the series until number 20 which is when, I think, it initially stopped (they later on continued the series). Yes, it's cheesy, sexist (women always shown naked and only get what they want by seducing the other etc.) and sometimes really stereotypical BUT it is also entertaining, covers many interesting historical themes (such as the IRA or the red scare) and smart (the whole plot turns out quite complex). The comic series was published in 1984 which, I guess, also accounts for much of the sexism and the kitsch!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews