Sioban je mlada princeza - princeza koja je ostala bez kraljevstva. Sioban će potražiti osvetu za sva zla koja su naneta njenoj porodici, krećući se kroz opasan svet kojim vladaju mrak i magija u prvom albumu ovog serijala koji potpusuju dva majstora, Difo i Rosinski.
Jean Dufaux is a Belgian comic book writer. Beginning his professional career as a journalist for "Ciné-presse", Dufaux started writing comic books in the 1980s. Perhaps his most well-known, and certainly his most long-running, series is Jessica Blandy.
The first part of “Lament of the Lost Moors” was quite a treat, both for the eyes and for the mind.
There is a perfect mixture of mythology and fantasy, secrets, oaths, treason, a quest, pride and honour, combined with a rich, early-medieval atmosphere and several motifs from classic literature. The drawing is breathtakingly beautiful: suggestive where and when it needs to be, yet detailed and precise enough to show every single individual feature and rich countenance of the characters. I need more of that! I am all aflutter to find out how the myth will unfold.
(I was unable to calm my temper only about that ridiculous sidekick animal Ouki. The drawing misses the style of the rest of the story and it seems to have no other purpose than being a painfully bad comic relief. And this is not that kind of story at all. That thing is just too Disney. It even looks like Stitch…)
A great first cycle for the classic French heroic fantasy series The Ballad of the Lost Moors, which unfortunately is untranslated. The list of complaintes against editorials that miss great European graphic novels just keeps piling up and up and up!
The tale falls quite smoothly within the Tolkienesque mould, and by that I don't mean that it's like LOTR (it isn't) but that it's the type of epic fantasy that the Professor would pioneer, which although in possession of a fair amount of magical and otherworldly elements, it still reads like it's "historical," an alternate version of our history even if the world is completely invented and not our Earth. The sort of feel that makes the world relatable and close.
The world of Ballad is called Eruin Dulea, and from the peoples that inhabit it as well as for the general appearance and "culture," it seems like it's an alternate world version of Ireland. It gives a Celtic legend impression on the whole, with few other elements not native to the Celts' folklore. Interestingly, it's also different from the usual fantasy epics in that a girl is the heroine and the Chosen One, for once. She's Sioban of the Sudenne, the only child and heir of Wulff of the Sudenne, the "White Wolf," slain prince and last heir to the monarchs of Eruin Dulea, whose throne was usurped by his bastard uncle, the magician Betlam, who treacherously resorted to black magic to assassinate Wulff in the battlefield rathen than fight him fairly.
Left alone with a baby girl to protect, her mother Lady O'Mara has no other choice but to marry Lord Blackmore, brother to her late husband, in exchange for keeping Sioban safe and away from Betlam's henchmen intent on killing the last Sudenne. The girl isn't fond of her uncle, and the antipathy is mutual. Soon enough, they come to blows when the girl finds out the truth about her father and when Blackmore's secret turns out worse than it appeared at first.
I enjoyed the mysterious aura this had at the start, and how quickly events leading to the grand battle of opposites unforld, although I thought Sioban won too soon and rather easily, and that the Big Clash ended quite fast. Blackmore had potential to be a complex villain and charismatic in a sinister way, so I wasn't impressed by the outcome for him either.
Which takes me to what's my biggest criticism of Ballad: the baddies are too trope-ish and clichéd. They're so ugly in looks, they wear black clothes, there's monstrous imagery all over them, and what particularly grates on my nerves: they so evilly and moustache-twirlingly spell out their plans for the reader! And this doesn't apply just to Lord Blackmore or Betlam the Mage, but to the next villains in this four-volume first cycle, Dame Gerfaut and Prince Gerfaut, who are also very ugly, caricature ugly to be precise, and black-clad schemers. Dame Gerfaut even has the shadow of a moustache, so I can totally picture her twirling it if it had grown! I really detest this tendency to "uglify" villains, though I am very aware of the reasons that go along the "ugly inside, ugly outside" lines of reasoning and the fact that this is a classic, therefore follows the conventions of classic black-and-white characterisation for protagonists and antagonists.
Didn’t like the detour in the plot involving Sioban and Prince Gerfaut much either, but at least the entire cycle ended well, if not one hundred percent to my liking. One can't have it all! And I'd still highly recommend this series if you like fantasy that feels realistic and relatable.
Birthright has never washed with me. In fact- it got washed away by the Atlantic Ocean, time and democracy. It's roots, however, remain all over the rest of the world so birthright still holds reality in the minds of many. To that crowd, in places like Europe where this was created, I assume that birthright works as something more than I see it being- a tired trope for the fantasy folk.
"Swaads ind Swassery!" I've made fun of the genre more often than I've enjoyed it which is why early Cerebus fits me so well- it's a mockery, a very funny one, that uses "Swords and Sorcery" as a stage to poke fun at whatever it's creator had on his mind at the time while relentlessly lampooning the genre itself.
That doesn't mean that this isn't a good story that's populated with interesting characters AND presented with great art- it only means that MY opinion of its subject matter makes ME rate it as no more than sufficiently enjoyable.
Censor/Censure Corner: The Brits are so PA-RUDE! Even though the book is rated 15+ they drew a towel over the main character in 2-3 panels when she was out of a bath. I noticed when I was looking through the French edition because I didn't remember her bare when I read it. Well, they did let a side boob slip that I just noticed. That all simply jives as naturism does- with nothing sexual about it. So what if she's under 18. It's benign nudity folks!
In a bare land ruled by an evil sorcerer, Siobhan mourns her father, watches her mother re-marry for political protection and dreams of hearing the Lament of the Lost Moors, which prophecy claims will be heard before the White Wolf returns to free the land.
A story of dark magic and sword fighting in a Norse-like setting with some properly Shakespearean scheming. It's a promising start but the main issue with this book is that it's clearly a set up for the rest of the narrative: the origin story of Siobhan. The tropes and revelations are pretty predictable but the worldbuilding is cool. The art is in a fairly classic bande dessinee style I really enjoyed.
This is clearly about Siobhan as a Strong Female Character, and one of the bad guys had already perved on her. I'm not confident about the gender politics to come in a book written by two men in 1993.
Belgialaisen Jean Dufauxin käsikirjoittama "Sioban" (WSOY, 2003) aloittaa Kadonneiden nummien valitus -nimisen fantasiasarjan, josta suomennettiin neljä ensimmäistä osaa.
Sarjakuvassa seurataan nuoren Sioban-tytön vaiheita jonkinlaisessa keskiaikaisessa fantasiamaailmassa, joka muistuttaa jotakuinkin muinaista Skotlantia tai Irlantia. Vallanperimysriitojen repimässä valtakunnassa on paikkansa niin miekalla kuin magialla. Synkeimpiä ja väkivaltaisimpia visioita keventää ripaus huumoria.
Ihan mukiinmenevää sarjakuvaa. Jos pidät Game of Thrones -tyyppisestä meiningistä, niin kokeile joutessasi tätäkin.
This is a vigorous heroic fantasy apparently set in an alternative pre-Christian Ireland. Clearly the opening episode of a lengthy series, the main purpose of this book is to introduce the setting and the primary characters.
The story is well told, with a slow, stately pace, and a mythopoetic sense of nostalgia for an idealised past expressed by those who remember it, now that the land has been covered by darkness. The art is gorgeous, giving a very powerful sense of the medieval setting.
However, there are a few hiccups. Firstly, titles in this pagan land are given in English in the French text, which clashes with the pagan premise and inspiration for the setting, as the English arrived in Ireland after Christianity. Secondly, there are a few aspects of the story that are quite childish, namely the manservant’s clumsy wooing of the dowager and the exploits of the cutesy pet creature punctuated by belch gags. This does not fit at all with the third hiccup, being the gratuitous full frontal nudity of the very young teen girl who is our protagonist and the lecherous attentions of her evil step father. That, the high level of realistic violence (including sexual violence) throughout, and the full-on scary sorcery, show this aspires to be much more grown up (although it comes across as awkwardly adolescent as a result). If it’s meant to be dark, it should be all dark. This tale doesn’t need puerile comic relief to work.
Despite the protagonist’s fanservice moment, she’s a plucky, believable heroine, and her mother makes for a powerful, stoic, figure of nobility. Both promise a strong female-led narrative, which makes this series quite intriguing. I need to get hold of the sequels.
As I have read this book several times with pleasure, I’ll give it a 4/5, although that is generous in view of the problems stated.
Класичне темне фентезі в сетінгу Середньовіччя, де у чергової принцеси немає королівства, бо вороги підступні, а батя-захисник мертвий через темну магію. До матері приперся залицятися батін брат, і він виявився ще тим темним мудилою, який і з ворогами встиг домовитися, і сам не те щоб дуже людина.
Але у сюжеті є ще якийсь Лицар Справедливості, який шукає контактів з принцесою, яка вже встигла прибити одного з емісарів головного лиходія. Перший том закінчується на довгій експозиції, коли мати принцеси під якимось місцевим легендарним деревом вирішує розповісти дочці про минуле і про те, чому вони в такому лайні.
Коротше, перший том - лише зав’язка. Це комікс свого часу, тому тут дуже багато розлогих діалогів, навіть в ситуаціях, коли можна було б висловитись коротко і ємко. Добре, хоч блоків з авторським текстом не додали.
З дещо грубим, але виразним малюнком. З блідою, тьмяною розфарбовкою. Чимось нагадує “Торгала”, що, в принципі, мені навіть до вподоби.
De la même équipe qui a écrit et dessiné les Thorgal, la Complainte des Landes Perdues est une petite série de quatre tomes se déployant dans le même genre d'univers fantastique que Thorgal. Les dessins sont beaux et détaillés, l'histoire, bien que classique, n'en reste pas moins efficace, du moins dans ce premier tome.
Le gros défaut, là où le mat blesse, est dans les dialogues, et les bulles de pensées des personnages, qui indiquent TOUT LE TEMPS toutes leurs pensées et machinations... En tant que lecteur, on se sent tellement tenus par la main qu'aucune autre interprétation n'est possible, ce qui donne une allure assez désagréable de lire une bande dessinée pour enfants. Nous verrons bien ce que les trois autres tomes nous réservent, mais pour l'instant, je les attends avec une brique et un fanal.
Meh. It's a semi-Irish fantasy about a teen girl who manages to be both waifish and a sword swinging badass. She is the daughter of the fallen good-king and is clearly being set up to battle it out with the evil sorcerer who usurped her father. I wasn't taken by the writing or the art. I am learning for forgive foreign writers for the faults of their translators, but this is a plot that has been done many, many times before. The fact that it is a heroine rather than a hero in this incarnation isn't enough of a twist to save this from being a bit dull and tired.
Recenzja dla całego oryginalnego dyptyku (komiksy 1-4 cyklu).
Kreska Rosińskiego zachwyca jak dawniej. Scenariusz Dufaux daje radę, ale ani Van Hamme ani Duchâteau to to nie jest. Wolałem drugą część dyptyku (zeszyty 3-4), bo nie wymagała tyle wprowadzenia w historię i bohaterów i miała więcej konfliktu i dynamizmu (również w strukturze narracji). Najslabszym zeszytem wydaje się być dwójka, gdzie ma się wrażenie mocnej kompresji i przyśpieszenia fabuły, żeby się zmieścić z końcówką.
Sword & sorcery fantasy all’ennesima potenza. Davvero bello. Niente da dire sulla storia, di un maestro come Dufeaux, né sui di disegni, di un altro maestro come Rosinski, il disegnatore di Thorgal. Se tutti i fumetti fossero a questo livello… 🥰
Tämä on kuvitukseltaan kaunista ja tunnelmallista realistista fantasiaa, jolle voisi melkein antaa neljäkin tähteä. Tarina tosin etenee vähän turhan köykäisesti…
Mixes together so many elements from other fantasy epics that it ends up being a bland, confusing mess. Not even the artwork of Rosinski could save this.
Une histoire de fantasy old school, mais qui tient encore la route. Ça me fait penser à plein de trucs, mais ça réussit à rester original et intrigant. L’ambiance est particulièrement réussie, entre mystère et désolation, beaucoup grâce au dessin à la fois vaporeux et précis de Rosinski. L’univers construit semble vaste, et on a hâte de s’y replonger.
Jean Dufauxin käsikirjoittamaa ja Grzegorz Rosińskin kuvittama Kadonneiden nummien valitus on neliosainen fantasiasarjakuva, jossa seurataan arturiaanista valtapeliä taikureiden ja mustan magian sävyttämässä maailmassa. Kuolleen kuninkaan tyttären Siobanin nousua kamppailua pimeyden voimia vastaan seuraavan sarjakuvan piirrosjälki on upeaa, kerronta toimivaa ja realistisen keskiajan ja myyttien tarinoiden yhdistelmä juuri sopivan koukuttavaa luettavaa.
Au commencement de cette saga, nous sommes tout de suite plongés dans une histoire médiévale. Rapidement, nous pensons à la série « Le trône de fer de G.R.R Martin » et pour les fans de cette saga, ça donne encore plus envie de poursuivre notre premier volume. Les dessins sont très bien créés avec de nombreux détails, mais pas assez élaborés pour certains. Quand nous voyons que l’année de cet album se situe dans les années 1990, nous comprenons pourquoi les dessins paraissent si vieux.
Dès le départ, nous sommes plongés au cœur d’un histoire familiale et au milieu d’une guerre. Nous nous attachons de suite à Sioban, une jeune fille de bonne famille, mais triste quant à la disparition de son père. Elle a un fort caractère et la tête sur les épaules. Elle a sa part de féminité cachée sous ses airs de garçon manqué et de guerrière. Nous comprenons ses réticences face au nouveau mari de sa mère. Un homme au fort tempérament, méprisant et qui cache un lourd secret à la vue des événements qui se déroulent dans l’histoire. Sa mère est une très belle femme, la tête aussi sur les épaules et qui, même si elle paraît ne pas voir le manège d’une certaine personne, le voit très bien, mais laisse du temps au temps. Nous rencontrons aussi une personne mystérieuse et nous nous demandons qui cela pourrait être à chaque fois que nous le voyons. Jusqu’à la fin, nous avons droit au suspense concernant sa personne. Nous avons hâte de lire la suite pour voir comment va se dérouler l’histoire.
Est-ce que j’ai aimé ce livre ?
Ce fut une belle découverte, même si les dessins ne sont pas de notre époque actuelle. L’histoire est très intéressante et vu qu je suis une grande fan de l’époque médiévale, j’ai été totalement conquise.
This is the first album of the series Lament of the Lost Moors, written by Jean Dufaux (whose Barracuda, drawn by Jérémy, I enjoy) and drawn by Grzegorz Rosinski (the artist of Thorgal, written by Jean Van Hamme), and it establishes a cast of main and supporting characters, as well as the beginnings of a central mythos, with roots in Celtic and British myths and legends. Siobhan, daughter of Lady O'Mara and the deceased Wulf, the White Wolf, clearly does not approve of her mother's marrying her uncle, Lord Blackmore, even though it serves to protect both mother and daughter from the sorcerer Beldam (who vanquished the White Wolf). Yet, in the land of Eruin Dulea, a stranger has arrived, and an old legend about the Lament of the Lost Moors is resurfacing.
All in all, I enjoyed this a lot, and will definitely be checking out the continuation of the story in further volumes.
Bande Dessinées, unlike American comics have a tendency to offer a complete experience with every volume, in comics it’s often the case that a single issue will leave you unsatisfies and overall will read better once the full arc is collected. This bande dessinée forgoes the habitual and offers very little in the opening volume to really hook the reader, it has great art but aside from that, meeting a few players and knowing it’s a sword and sorcery series that’ll make use of the birthright trope… there’s nothing here, it’s too slow but it looks like read as a whole (the first cycle of the series contains the first four volumes) it could be great. Another complain is the vocabulary, I’m a native French speaker and I still had a hard time with some of Dufaux’s words and turn of phrase.
BD inspirée du folklore celte et fortement patinée d'éléments fantastiques. On y suit les aventures de Sioban, dernière descendante des Sudennes, seule famille à s'être opposée au sombre mage Bedlam.
la jeune fille, sauvage et obstinée, veut venger la mort de son père. Elle devra pour cela découvrir si le mal est au coeur de l'amour, ou au contraire si c'est l'amour qui est au coeur du mal...
This story has just the right amount of legends, magic, conflict and amiable (as well as despicable) characters. Told by Rosinski's wonderful drawings, this is a very enjoyable read.