Drummer Boy

Les Tuniques Bleues #31

by Raoul Cauvin, Willy Lambil

nan

Genres: Bande Dessinée, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Dimitri · Rating 5 out of 5]

An 8 year old likes to play with toy soldiers. It doesn't matter that the medieval ramparts are partly dotted with soldiers carrying machine guns, or that they are scaled by Cowboys& Indians. It's the same thing in Time Bandits and that movie with the living skeletons*.

History is cool in general, each good semestrial report in school is rewarded with a picture book about Egypt, the Greeks, the Vikings...

Then this plate plants the seed for a lifelong interest in military history, and nurtures a cautious eye against the glory of war:





*Army of Darkness.

[Simon Chadwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both sides of the American Civil War have been suffering heavy loses, and so that requires recruiting more men. But not everyone is old enough Blutch isn't happy to find what is obviously a child in the sign-up line, so does his best to dissuade him. Unfortunately, this results in Chesterfield fast-tracking the youngster to the front of the queue. He may not be soldier material, but he's perfect for a drummer boy.

Using children in battle, often in the thick of action, just to strike a drum, seems ludicrous in the 21st Century, but it was common practice in armies across the globe. And now the Union Army has a new drummer boy he appears to be determined to master the drum, and so it's practice, practice, practice. But that's not the whole story.

Credit to Cauvin for highlighting yet another aspect of army life in such an interesting and amusing manner. This is somehow done without negating the grim realities of the battlefield. I was utterly wrong=footed as to where the tale was going, and enjoyed it all the more for it.

I've said it lots of times in these reviews – The Bluecoats is an excellent read and if you're not reading it, you should be.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ça continue a être une bonne surprise. L'illustration de l'antimilitarisme dans cette guerre fratricide. Le c¸oté absurde. Aucune idée de la véracité historique, mais très plausible.

[Vanessa McDuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je me suis pas une spécialiste de la BD, mais c'était très bon!

[Math le maudit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bon album que celui-là. Avec à nouveau une opposition de style entre Blutch et Chesterfield sur l'armée et ses vices. Confrontés à un môme qui s'est engagé, leurs points de vue sur la chose divergent sacrément.



Le gamin, finalement nommé tambour, va s'avérer être une vraie source de problèmes.

[Hans Gravekamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prima concept voor een album, door de personages ook goed uitgespeeld. Alleen het verhaal hapert door de vele toevalligheden. Desondanks goed leesvoer!