Bouncer

Bouncer #1-7

by Alejandro Jodorowsky, François Boucq (Artist), Claude Ecken (Afterword)

Bouncer, the one-armed gunslinger, is the law inside the Inferno Saloon. This collection compiles his adventures and showdowns, from his family's violent legacy, to his stint as Barro City's executioner, to his misguided attempts at love - all populated by the Wild West's most perverse and bizarre characters.

Mastermind writer and filmmaker Alexandro Jodorowsky (The Incal, El Topo) rides out with artist Francois Boucq, whose savage vision vividly captures the American West in all its gritty glory.

Includes all seven Humanoids Bouncer volumes.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Westerns, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, The United States Of America

412 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Also credited as Alexandro Jodorowsky

Better known for his surreal films El Topo and The Holy Mountain filmed in the early 1970s, Alejandro Jodorowsky is also an accomplished writer of graphic novels and a psychotherapist. He developed Psychomagic, a combination of psychotherapy and shamanic magic. His fans have included John Lennon and Marilyn Manson.

Reviews

[Pavel Pravda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nikdy jsem nebyl velkým fanouškem westernů. Z mayovek jsem už vyrostl a ke klasickým westernům jsem si nenašel cestu. To se nedávno změnilo a zásluhu na tom mají čeští komiksoví vydavatelé. Westernů v poslední době vyšlo hodně a žádný z nich mě nezklamal. Platí to i pro tento komiks od dvou legendárních autorů - Jodorowského a Boucqa. Jodo si tentokrát odpustil veškerou mystiku a nebýt v doslovu rozboru celého Bouncera, tak bych v tom nenašel nic, co je pro něj typické. Vypráví zde několik drsných příběhů jednorukého vyhazovače z příšerně prohnilého města Barro City. Při čtení jsem měl pocit určité schématičnosti, zkratkovitosti a občas vysloveného přehrávání jako třeba v již zmíněných mayovkách, kdy cudné ženy pod tíhou emocí vykřikují příšerné banality - "Bože, jak moc tě miluji!" Když jsem se potom v doslovu dočetl, že se Jodo snažil vytvořit Shakespearovský western, tak to začalo dávat smysl. Musím říct, že ač to místy bilo do očí, tak ta občasná zkratkovitost a přehrávání atmosféře nijak neuškodilo. Všechny příběhy jsou už od začátku dobře rozehrané a hodně dobře odvyprávěné. Bouncer baví od první stránky až do posledního mrtvého parchanta.
Hodně mě překvapila Boucqova kresba. Na první pohled to totiž vypadá, jako byste listovali starým westernovým komiksem. Vypadá to velmi oldschoolově, přestože to vzniklo až v tomto tisíciletí. Boucq zde na čtenáře dobře přenáší dojem rozlehlých kaňonů a vyprahlých skal a skvěle zobrazuje dynamiku ženoucích se koní a divokých přestřelek. Zajímavá je i jeho práce se stíny. K tomuhle komiksu se bude dobře vracet.

[Koen Claeys · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection contains the first 7 volumes of 'Bouncer'. If It had included only the first five volumes I would have given it the full 5 stars but Jodorowsky goes a bit of the rails in the final story-arc in which he no longer succeeds to keep his tendency to write surreal, grotesque stories, full of freaks, in check. But those first five volumes are comics gold : entertaining, masterfully written western stories, beautifully illustrated by Boucq.

[Elfo-oscuro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy buenas historias. Lo mejor el primer ciclo de 2 libros

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Στο συγκεκριμένο άλμπουμ μιλάμε για κομιστική ποιότητα. Είναι ένα western στα πρότυπα των παλιών καλών ταινιών του eastwood, του Wayne και του Mitchum με ότι συνεπάγεται αυτό. Ο Jodorowsky δίνει ρέστα στην βία και την ωμότητα του σεναρίου. Δεν υπάρχει ηθική και φιλότιμο, υπάρχει μόνο αυτός που έχει τις περισσότερες σφαίρες και τα μεγαλύτερα κάκαλα. Το κόμικ όπως λέει και στο οπισθόφυλλο είναι για μεγάλα παιδιά μιας και βρίθει βιασμών,κλοπών, γραφικών φόνων και άλλων τέτοιων έμορφων που μας εξιτάρουν την φαντασία και διατηρούν στα υψηλά επίπεδα τον μύθο της άγριας δύσης όπως τον έχουμε στο μυαλό μας από παιδιά. Το σενάριο βέβαια διατηρεί μια στασιμότητα από ιστορία σε ιστορία, μιας και η ακολουθία (αν εξαιρέσεις την πρώτη ιστορία που είναι origin του Bouncer) είναι "ζούμε όλοι χαρούμενοι και σε αρμονία - έρχεται ο κακός πολιτικός,κτηματίας ή γενικά φιλόδοξος και ανελέητος τύπος και μας κλέβει τα σπίτια και τα κτήματα αφού σκοτώνει τους μισούς - φωνάζουμε τον κουλό πορτιέρη που παρουσιάζεται και λίγο κακομοίρης για να καθαρίσει". Στην συνέχεια αλλάζουν κάποια πράγματα και υπάρχουν και plot twists που σε κάνουν να πεις "έλα ρε δεν το περίμενα" αλλά η κύρια ιδέα είναι αυτή. Το σχέδιο είναι πανέμορφο και ταιριαστό με το αίσθημα της εποχής που περιγράφει με έντονη την απόχρωση του κοκκινωπού. Υπάρχουν ερωτικές σκηνές χωρίς να γίνεται χυδαίο και τα τοπία είναι πίνακες. Να σημειώσω πως υπάρχουν στιγμές που η ψυχεδέλεια του Jodo είναι προφανής σε συγκεκριμένους χαρακτήρες που είναι τελείως αψυχολόγητοι, κάτι που προσωπικά βρήκα διασκεδαστικό. Αγοράστε το όσο προλαβαίνετε, αξίζει φουλ τα λεφτά του και διαβάζεται ξανά και ξανά άνετα.

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is too long. The story is alright. The love interest in this book had no build up and are completely random at times. There is a lot of violence which makes it more interesting as the stories aren't. There is a lot a flashbacks which give some back story to the main character but they are too long and could be shortened by a few sentences of dialogue. Never finished this book completely as I got bored and felt it was much of the samething.

[Adam Šilhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Velmi civilní Jodo. Kdyby to byl jen jeden příběh, jdu na 4*, takto se ten "prožitek" dost rozmělnil a nepřišlo mi to jako celek tak nosné.

[Ana Pérez · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4,5)
Un western puro, con un puntito de brutalidad bien insertado en la trama. Empezando por su protagonista, un pistolero manco y mestizo, nos regala varios personajes memorables sin caer en los tópicos del género y su guion es ágil y entretenido. Un recopilatorio de 7 volúmenes que se hace corto y deja con ganas de más aventuras.

[Manish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bouncer was my first tryst with Jodorowsky. The three 'Westerns' were definitely unique but at the same time nothing extraordinary, However, a short essay at the end of the book critically evaluated these three stories and tried to document the Shakespearean influences on each of them. That gave these a different perspective.

Overall, I'm happy to see this on my bookshelf.

[Arun · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quintessential western in the world of graphic literature.

The team up between Jodorowsky and Bouq has given us a gem of a book. The artist, with his bevy of colorists, takes the reader on a journey hitherto unknown. With each passing page and each panel the reader is transported into the dusty, soiled and unforgiving streets of Barrow city and into the heat of the inferno saloon. The art is that good, the coloring is THAT GOOD. I personally feel the writing in Bouncer is better than what Jodorowsky did in Incal (not saying it's bad). This is a good hefty read with the story having a natural progression, which doesn't stretch thin the narrative and make it repetitive and above all, boring. Take your time with this book, don't rush through, appreciate the details in each page, allow yourself to be transported into the wild west. Ride through the canyons on your trusty horse, feel the waves of hot dry dessert wind on your face. But at the end of the day don't forget to have a glass of whiskey at the inferno saloon, maybe even raise one to the bouncer.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great artwork and initially original storytelling marred by some aged tropes. I've been digging as deep as I can into Bande Dessinee (BD) as an English speaker and Jodorowsky and Giraud are generally considered the leading luminaries. BLUEBERRY is impossible to get, but BOUNCER was available. Although there are some strong female figures, they all seem to fall head over heels in love with our protagonist - he doesn't have to do any courting as he is simply irresistible. This is a jarring flaw as clearly Bouncer has principles and this dynamic seems out of place with the rest of the storytelling - characters with some modicum of depth and complexity. But one advantage for me about BD is the history that is often intertwined with the story. This is an enjoyable diversion, but not a book I would recommend pursuing to include in your collection. There is, unfortunately, a great deal of murder and rape, but hard to argue this was not a part of settling the west - as Cormac Maccarthy has also depicted with a rather jaundiced eye.

[David Wagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art is great, that is for sure. The atmosphere build up is also solid - but other than that, it is too much Jodorowsky for a western. Freaks and larger than life characters worked quite well in distant hyper future of the metabarons, but are seriously out of place in western. Especially the romance plots are simply awful, with all women falling for the main character at the strangest times, overly complicated motivations and backstories and weird balancing between endless authors love towards Native Americans and horrible orientalism towards Chinese.
It tries to be Greek tragedy or Shakespeare, but ends up being a bizzare pulp.

[Martin Hruska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zatím co film má svého Tarantina, komiks ma Jodorowského. Popkulturní zábava, která je v druhém a třetím běhu hlubší než mnohé nezávislé a alternativní produkce. Jodorowsky se nesnaží svůj nespoutaný příběh za nic schovávat, i verše vyřknuté v příběhu mají jasný nádech ironie. Hloubku v komiksu najdete v jeho formální stavbě. Vztahy postav a výstavba příběhu inspirovaná Shakespearem (rodinné spory, osudová milenka), bohatá symbolika (kainovo oko v příběhu tří bratří, symbol hada odkazující na jeho indiánský původ) a hravost. Příběh vyhazovače z klubu Infermo nepřestává ani na okamžik bavit. Na začátku se možná zarážite nad jeho neporazitelností, ale jakmile přijmete pravidla hry, začiná jízda čisté zábavy a napětí. Jednoruký pistolník jako ďáběl přinášející spravedlnost na divoký západ. Svádí místy až antické bitvy se svojí rodinou, očišťuje komunitu a odhaluje svoje indiánské kořeny (svého otce indiána), aby nakonec porazil Femme fatale dvou tváří.

[Federico Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relectura de fin de semana.
Esta belleza no tiene un 10 porque por momentos Jodorowsky utiliza un par de atajos para llegar bien a cerrar líneas narrativas. Pero de todos modos el clima y los personajes son magníficos, la línea que separa los buenos de los malos está bien delimitada y hay hermosas sorpresas.
Y Boucq es un mago, no hay vueltas, el género le queda muy bien, la reconstrucción del desierto y las llanuras es la magia misma, y por supuesto las escenas de acción son de lo mejor.

[Daniel Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talvez a melhor saga de Faroeste que eu já tenha lido.
Jodo cria um mundo cruel e hostil, com personagens crus e sistuações dignas da obra de Shakespeare e outros grandes dramturgo, a vingança a violência e lei são cruéis e implecaveis nesse grande arco de 7 histórias.
Os personagens são mundanos e cometem seu erros e seguem suas jornadas. Fabuloso quadrinho que apesar de se passar em um época já distante ainda retrata bem a condição humana nos dias de hoje

[Kuba · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was entertaining!

The first two issues that focused on revenge didn't make me want to read on. Fortunately, I forced myself to do it. The rest was amazing. So many strange things, twists and turns, humor, I didn't experience in a long time.
From the graphic side, I am a little disappointed, but overall I had a blast.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

These seven Bouncer books (comprising three major storylines) are all solid westerns, but maybe a little too routine to be essential. Boucq's artwork is strong, and Jodorowsky's characters' voices are all clear and impactful.

[Zany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jodorowsky a jeho komiksy, to je občas sázka do loterie, u Bouncera se ovšem držel v mezích reality, takže mi tato kombinace komiksu a westernu perfektně vyhovovala. Boucqova kresba se mi také líbí, takže za mě Bouncer plný počet.

[Comics Alternative · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://comicsalternative.com/euro-com...

[José Martins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. The first 7 tomes as compiled here, divided in 3 stories. Good stories about vengeance, greed, sex and violence.

[Comicland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining chapters peppered with Jodorowsky’s usual grotesque elements. Beautifully drawn by Boucq, the landscapes are reminiscent of Blueberry’s. Recommended.

[Chris Tannhauser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one has it all: butte-infested vistas, thundering horses, grimy gunslingers, angry women, children dangling from gallows, and fistfuls of gems hidden in the generative organs of corpses.

[Zac · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this in the library and had to borrow it for 2 reasons: Jodorowsky and Boucq. I picked up François Boucq’s ‘Les pionniers de l'aventure humaine’ while in Paris a couple of years ago because the art was crazy, but I’ve never had it translated so I can only guess what it’s about. The art in ‘Bouncer’ is also incredibly detailed, has great colouring, and is littered with beautiful Monument Valley-esque panoramas straight out of John Ford’s filmography. Jodorowsky has also been in the comic-writing business for a long time, but considering how inventive a film-maker he is, his comics (and ‘Bouncer’ in particular) are a comparative letdown. It is far less trippy and epic than ‘The Incal’ (the only other comic of his I’ve read), perhaps because the parameters of sci-fi fiction are much broader than those of the Western genre. On the other hand, his film ’El Topo’ was a Western and was extremely interesting and challenging. And it’s not as if Jodorowsky didn’t give himself opportunities in ‘Bouncer’ - at a few points, his characters try peyote or some other mind altering substance, but they are never transported to symbol-heavy surrealistic worlds. The stories were pretty interesting and entertaining, with a cast of weird characters tangled in a mess of subplots set in a biblically corrupt town, but I couldn’t help but think that some of the potential was wasted.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and beautifully detailed, this is well worth any reader's time. Where it falls slightly short, in my opinion, is character depth. With the exception of the title character, all the characters lack depth and have nothing but the simplest motivations. Now this is probably a good thing, as these are pretty basic Western stories and most readers will probably be OK with this. Tons of violence, no one character is safe. If you live in the town of Barro, you will be in danger if you are a: sherif, schoolteacher, mayor, Indian, drunk, dog, small child, widow, black, psychotic cabaret singer, siamese twin, confederate soldier, bounty hunter, Mexican, stagecoach driver, bartender, landowner, monkey, deaf and mute old lady, old man, corral snake, or misanthropic fat psycho with an axe stuck permanently in your head. Just a little spoiler, anyone who does not fall into one of these descriptions is not killed.

[Derek Royal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of stories. I appreciate western comics, and I'm particularly interested in the ways that non-US creators engage with the American West. Jodorowsky brings a unique psychological/psychoanalytic twist to genre. What's more, this is a beautiful edition that Humanoids has produced.

[Kyle Burley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Euro-western is alive and well in the pages of this beautiful volume. Jodorowsky's intense, violent, and occasionally demented storytelling is complimented perfectly by Francois Boucq's stunning art.