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L'été Diabolik

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Un agent secret sorti de nulle part, un accident dramatique, une fille troublante et la disparition de son père, le tout en deux jours… Pour Antoine, 15 ans, l'été 1967 sera celui de toutes les découvertes. Après Souvenirs de l'empire de l'Atome, les auteurs proposent un nouveau cocktail détonant et jouissif : un scénario particulièrement haletant, entre espionnage et littérature, passé au mixeur graphique de Clérisse qui, cette fois, mélange les références des fumetti à David Hockney.

168 pages, Board book

First published January 8, 2016

2 people are currently reading
161 people want to read

About the author

Thierry Smolderen

69 books15 followers
Thierry Smolderen (born 25 November 1954) is an essay writer, as well as a script writer of Belgian comic strips.

Smolderen is a teacher at École des Beaux-Arts of Angoulême, France. As a comic books historian, he wrote Naissances de la bande dessinée (2009), about the "platinum age" of comics. This book has been published in English by the University Press of Mississippi in 2014, under the title The Origins of Comics: From William Hogarth to Winsor McCay (Eisner Award nominee of 2015 in the Best Scholarly/Academic Work category).

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
Profile Image for Matthew.
1,223 reviews10.3k followers
February 23, 2021
This was an interesting but slightly less than usual graphic novel experience. I picked it out as an impulse borrow from the library as the bright and colorful cover stood out in the new graphic novel release section. Ended up being worth the impulse . . .



A little bit spy/espionage. A little bit unrequited love/coming-of-age story. The protagonist is more of the narrator/storyteller than an actual participant in the events of the story. But, just being in the thick of it all affects him in a big way – both past and present.



The art is fun and interesting to look at. As you can see from the images I have included, it has a very 1960s feel to it which serves to draw the reader into the time period even more. This is a case where the art is intricately involved in telling the story as well. This title is worth it just to see some of the cool imagery.



This book may not be for every graphic novel fan. But, if you enjoy espionage and/or period specific art styles, this title is very worth checking out. And, if your interest in graphic novels is just to find something new and unique, this would be perfect for you.


Profile Image for Heather V  ~The Other Heather~.
507 reviews55 followers
August 20, 2020
Have you ever wished that Mad Men had more spies and murders?


I realize that sounds terribly niche, but even if you've never thought about it before and yet somehow the idea, now that it's rolling around in your noggin, sounds kinda appealing...you should probably pick up DIABOLICAL SUMMER.





To put a finer point on it, this book has the splashy colour palette of the '60s, a more vibrant aesthetic applied to the opening credit sequence of Mad Men. And then, plot-wise, it's got spies and murder, with a liberal dash of noir, which shouldn't work with such bright tones but absolutely does. Tell me how that doesn't sound like fun!



It is fun. I kept pausing as I read it and thinking, "I'm enjoying this ride thoroughly." We get to follow a teenage Antoine over one tumultuous season as he moves through the tennis circuit, befriends a rival on the court, falls in love, gets betrayed...and also has to grapple with the disappearance of his father, who may or may not have vanished at the hands of some super secret spy buddies Antoine never realized his dad was keeping. Beyond the titular summer, we then get a pretty crazy update from the adult Antoine on some pieces of his life's puzzle that have finally, disturbingly, fallen into place.





This was the first book I've read by the team of Smolderen and Clerisse, but it won't be my last. It's one of those hardcovers that you're actually happy to pay for and to keep on your shelves, because it's a beauty from the cover to each page within. The combination of the art and the story was pitch perfect, almost reaching the levels of Lemire/Sorrentino or Brubaker/Phillips in terms of synchronicity for me. It's a brilliant partnership and it made for a thrill ride of a book.


I'm sorry I missed the virtual meeting our Ladies' Comic Book club had about DIABOLICAL SUMMER, because I'd have loved to hear if everyone dug it as much as I did. Either way, for those who aren't in my little gang, I'll be recommending this to people who like their technicolour with a side of espionage.
Profile Image for Mélanie.
917 reviews185 followers
March 1, 2017
Très surprise et conquise par cette BD dont je ne connaissais rien de l'histoire. Le dessin rétro/60s de la couverture est présent tout au long des pages, accompagnées de couleurs vives dans un ton très doux.
Jusqu'à la fin l'auteur nous tient en haleine sur le dénouement final de ce fameux été, et je trouve cela assez prodigieux! Totalement surprise par les dernières pages, on ne peut que souhaiter que le plaisir dure plus longtemps!
Profile Image for Juho Pohjalainen.
Author 5 books348 followers
April 24, 2021
There's a lot going here, but I think it sets up the twist a little too much and too thoroughly. It could have made the prologue shorter, sped things up a bit.
Profile Image for Erin Cataldi.
2,548 reviews67 followers
August 6, 2020
The artwork alone is 5 stars - bright, whimsical drawings grace every page and really help set the tone for what a groovy summer 1967 was. 15 year old Antoine is about to have an unforgettable summer under the sun. A devious new friend, a stunning blond, and mystery after mystery. One thing led to another and the way it all wraps up at the end is truly impressive. This graphic novel is thrilling, colorful, and makes you want to re-watch all the classic James Bond movies. A total knock out!
Profile Image for Ron.
966 reviews19 followers
July 17, 2019
Tender and intriguing coming of age story set in France in the summer of 1967. Great stylish artwork. The French setting gives a great perspective and wonderful counterpoint to my own summer of '67
when I was about the same age as the protagonist. The mystery aspect is woven neatly into the threads of Antoine's teen angst and development and a number of surprising developments.
Profile Image for Przemysław Skoczyński.
1,426 reviews50 followers
January 13, 2022
„Diabolical Summer” to komiks francusko-belgijskiego duetu, nawiązujący fabułą do klasycznych thrillerów szpiegowskich. Jest on jednak pozycją na tyle ciekawą, że można go rozpatrywać też w kilku innych aspektach. Pierwszy – podstawowy – to historia rosyjskiego szpiega działającego na terenie Francji. Początkowo zagmatwana historia, składająca się z kilku pozornie niepowiązanych wątków, które w trakcie trwania fabuły zaczynają tworzyć spójną całość. Swoistym dopięciem jest druga, zdecydowanie krótsza część, w której autor dzięki odkryciu po latach nowych faktów i własnej dedukcji, wypełnia luki i rozwiewa wątpliwości. Już na tej płaszczyźnie jest świetnie i momentami bardzo zaskakująco. Druga kwestia to postać Antoine i proces inicjacji bohatera, której tłem jest jedno z tych magicznych letnich okresów, pełnych nowych doświadczeń, jakie spotykają cię tylko w młodości. To jednocześnie pozbawienie złudzeń co do brutalnego świata dorosłych. Jest również aspekt meta, nawiązanie do słynnej włoskiej serii komiksowej lat 60-tych o antybohaterze „Diaboliku”, który reprezentowany jest przez dwie zamaskowane postacie. Jedna w dosłownym znaczeniu i druga w bardziej symbolicznym. Dodajcie do tego absolutnie fenomenalną stronę graficzną, nawiązującą do pop-artu z odchyłami w stronę estetyki reklamy, czarującą wyraźnymi psychodelicznymi barwami i mamy gwarancję rozrywki na najwyższym poziomie
Profile Image for cardulelia carduelis.
689 reviews39 followers
November 27, 2022
Incredible art, but a story that didn't really grab me. I twigged 80% of the plot points in the first part, so the second part felt like a bit of a drag.
I reckon French readers and fans of French comics will get a real kick out of the references but for me it was only so-so.
Worth a look for the art.

Profile Image for Michael.
1,611 reviews210 followers
February 1, 2017
"Jedem seinen Albtraum, jedem seine Dämonen...."

Antoine erforscht ein dunkles Familiengeheimnis, das immer unglaublicher und verwirrender zu werden scheint. Aber verwirrend sind nie die Umstände, sondern nur unser beschränktes Verständnis, das wir von ihnen haben. Oder?

Coming of Age, Spionagegeschichte, Diabolik: verschiedenste Zutaten werden zu einem Fünfsterne-Menu zubereitet, hinzu kommt die stellare Artwork, die die Äshetik der 60er Popjahre mit heute verbindet: das, und dass sich die Story nicht wie ein fertig zu legendes Puzzle zum fraglosen Ganzen fügt, trifft so ganz meinen Geschmack.
Profile Image for Manfred Moonlight Ackermann.
835 reviews3 followers
November 29, 2019
Typiquement le genre de BD qui ne m'attire pas de prime abord. Un graphisme particulier ... une couverture avec ce grand masque qui ne m'attire pas ...
Et puis les chroniques et les prix arrivent et je me dis qu'il doit y avoir quelque chose que je ne veux pas rater. Et j'ai bien fait.
Un bon polar, une superbe histoire, un graphisme qui se révèle excellent une fois qu'on s'habitue.
On peut croire à cette histoire, ça semblerait presque vraisemblable, d'ailleurs ça l'est peut-être ?
Bonne surprise et en tous cas un excellent moment de lecture. Et cette Joan .. <3
Profile Image for Suni.
549 reviews47 followers
February 1, 2024
I demoni dell'edicola ti esplodono in faccia come uno sciame ronzante fuori da un nido di vespe.
La maschera del male salta da un profilo all'altro, in cerca di un attore degno di incarnarla...
In ogni caso, è quello che ho creduto di vedere io durante tutta l'estate '67...


Graphic novel abbastanza strepitoso.
Intanto la trama è davvero avvincente: inizia che sembra un classico coming of age estivo francese di fine anni '60, ma presto Smolderen (autore della storia e dei testi) inserisce la parte thriller e di spionaggio, il tutto condito da una strana presenza sullo sfondo, quella di Diabolik, che forse è solo suggestione, oppure no, chissà.
Ci sono inoltre riferimenti alla politica e in generale ai fatti storici di quel periodo.
E c'è il grande amore per i fumetti (il già citato Diabolik, ma non solo), la fretta di andare in edicola a comprare le nuove uscite, la curiosità per le collezioni altrui.
Bello anche l'espediente del romanzo (grafico) nel romanzo (grafico), con una (finta) appendice di vent'anni successiva a dare le risposte a tutte le domande rimaste senza spiegazione nella prima parte.
Però la parola capolavoro la uso per le illustrazioni, ad opera di Alexandre Clerisse: un tripudio di colori, forme, disposizione delle figure che omaggia le tendenze artistiche degli anni in cui la storia è ambientata. Già solo la resa del trip di LSD che fa il protagonista, sulla musica dei Procol Harum, vale la lettura.
Profile Image for Julie lit pour les autres.
646 reviews90 followers
May 17, 2017
Au cœur de l'été 1967, des événements inquiétants et mystérieux se succèdent dans la vie d'Antoine, 15 ans. Tout commence par un match de tennis disputé chaudement et un père mauvais perdant...Il y est question de femmes mythomanes et séductrices, d'amis chapardeurs, de la disparition de son père, de l'URSS, de nazis et... de masques?

L'album est un éblouissant hommage au pop art. Les illustrations sont kaléidoscopiques et dans une palette de couleurs évoquant le soleil couchant une journée torride de juillet. Quand l'artiste travaille avec des ombres, on est saisi par l'effroi : les violets, les gris et les noirs rendent tout à coup la froideur et le détachement de certains personnages. Un véritable plaisir pour les yeux! Le récit divisé en deux parties donne beaucoup de rythme à l'intrigue: d'abord le récit d'Antoine, publié en 1987, qui relate les événements de l'été 67, puis le résultat de son enquête où il découvre la vérité. À mettre dans les mains des amateurs de pop art, de suspense et des nostalgiques des années 60. Un court essai explicatif sur le masque dans la BD des années 60 signé Smolderen conclut avec brio l'album.
11 reviews
August 15, 2021
This is a delightful tantalising tale that covers multiple genres, spy thriller,coming of age,mystery intrigue & so much more. Thierry Smolderen (writer) and Alexandre Clérisse (artist) have created an almost perfect story that sucks us into the intriguing & beguiling narrative. Clérisse's artwork is a treat. It is colourful, psychedelic, capturing the essence of the swinging 60s. The dark red blue purple colours,the geometric patterns, it reminds us so much about the publicity posters , LP covers,brochures from that particular era. The mystery & the closure is satisfactory, but seasoned readers would have joined most of the dots well in advance. But then in Smolderen's defence, he had provided all the clues without any red herrings. I became a big fan of Smolderen after GHOST MONEY DEATH IN DUBAI, now I have to check out "ATOMIC EMPIRE". Reading "DIABOLICAL SUMMER" was a treat.
Profile Image for Aapo.
839 reviews
August 9, 2020
Tyylikkään 60-lukulaisella tyylillä toteutettu sarjakuva ja elokuvamainen tunnelma on taitavasti tehty. Melkoista kikkailua on teoksessa muutenkin, sillä siinä on ikään kuin kirja kirjan sisällä, mitä ei kuitenkaan liikaa korosteta. Juonenkäänteet ja -yksityiskohdat menivät lopulta sen verran lennokkaiksi, että vasta siinä vaiheessa ryhdyin tarkemmin tutkimaan sitä, että kukas tämän onkaan tehnyt. Hetken aikaa olin jo siinä luulossa, että tämä on kirjasta tehty sarjakuvasovitus, mutta näin ei ollutkaan.

Turhan monta asiaa tähän kirjaan ja juoneen oli työnnetty, eli kokonaisuus ei pysynyt ihan kasassa. Hyvä ja viihdyttävä yritys kuitenkin.
Profile Image for Laurelas.
654 reviews235 followers
April 10, 2023
Je suis visiblement sur une lancée "Alexandre Clérisse" après avoir lu Feuilles Volantes et je dois dire que je n'ai pas été déçue du voyage pour l'instant.

Ici on est dans une intrigue 60's qui mêle espionnage et premiers émois adolescents. C'est rudement beau (ces décors, ces couleurs !) et l'intrigue est bien menée, jusqu'au dénouement final dont je n'avais pas deviné tous les contours... Un très bon moment de BD !
Profile Image for Selen Birce.
41 reviews5 followers
June 24, 2020
Çizgi romanda görsel ögeler ve yazı birbirini destekler -iki taraftan biri daha baskın olabilir. Diabolik Yaz’ın Pop Art çizimleriyse hikâyeyi bir kenara koyup her panele ayrı ayrı baktıracak kadar güzeldi.
Profile Image for Anna.
111 reviews23 followers
May 13, 2018
No sóc massa de gènere noir. Però aquest us el recomano . A més, el dibuix retro d’Alexandre Clérisse és una absoluta delicia (Tot i que he de reconèixer que jo ja venia convençuda pel seu “Recuerdos del Imperio del Átomo”)
Profile Image for Lewerentz.
319 reviews9 followers
June 17, 2017
J'ai beaucoup aimé le graphisme fin des années 60, un peu moins l'histoire.
Profile Image for William Holm.
129 reviews2 followers
Read
July 28, 2020
This was my first encounter with Smolderen and Clerisse. It turned out to be a very enjoyable read. The script might be a bit predictable at some points but that is in line with genre. This is an homage to spy thrillers from the sixties told through a filter of teenage reminiscence wrapped in a middle-age life crisis. The art is indulging in aesthetics from the sixties with lots of colours and hardly any panel borders. The whole work is bubbling with the creators' enthusiasm for telling the story and sharing the imagery.

(Read digitally)
Profile Image for Gregorito.
88 reviews1 follower
June 30, 2017
Incredibly beautiful illustrations and very captivating story! A must read / look!
Profile Image for Always_procrastinate.
26 reviews4 followers
January 12, 2021
Vraiment très chouette graphiquement, l'histoire est très fun et prenante aussi. Bonne découverte !
Profile Image for WallofText.
835 reviews4 followers
July 21, 2020
A gorgeously illustrated abstract graphic novel, set partially in the 60s and partially in the 80s. It is a very meta story in which the protagonist is the author of the book as well. It’s very bizarre at times, featuring multiple languages, an LSD trip (with appropriate imagery), multiple perspectives weaving in and out between the pages. It is an experience difficult to describe, but definitely worthy to have, even if it is very weird.
Profile Image for Ella Dixon.
124 reviews24 followers
May 16, 2022
I've been trying to expand my reading bubble from the sad girl normcore fiction that I devour at lighting speed. The Unabridged Bookstore sale section always has something interesting that I can try on a budget so I picked up this graphic novel on a whim. Because this isn't my usual thing, I have less to say than normal because I feel like I'm less versed in the mechanics of a graphic novel than a traditional novel.
Antoine is a champion tennis player facing an unusually tough adversary, Erik. When their fathers get into a row over a controversial referee call, the boys strike up an unlikely friendship. When they comb through old pictures of their fathers, they learn about their secret past and the political organizations they supported during the second World War. When people start to go missing, Antoine gives up his tennis dreams in pursuit of the truth.
This graphic novel had a really interesting story but the set-up dragged on a bit longer than I would have liked. I loved the illustrations and their style. It is definitely an aesthetically pleasing book and I love that it's a printed-cover hardback with a ribbon bookmark built-in. But other than that, I thought the execution kind of fell flat. I had a hard time understading the ominous foreshadowing that Antoine delivered through the book. Also this is kind of a small pet peeve but there were no page numbers and suddenly, in the middle of the novel, the story cuts off and we are in a part two that references the entire (unmentioned) first part as a separate story entirely written by one of the characters in his youth. I hate it when that happens and it reminds me of the frustration I felt when reading Trust Exercise which I also bought on sale, though at the now-defunct Urban Outfitters Outlet.
Anyway...I didn't love this graphic novel but I did love that it was a quick read that got me out of my comfort zone. Now considering rereading Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood for the billionth time.
Profile Image for Zéro Janvier.
1,722 reviews125 followers
February 15, 2019
Un roman graphique qui commence comme une banale histoire de vacances d'un adolescent et qui devient progressivement une sortie de thriller avec un mystère étonnant. Le style graphique ne m'a pas forcément séduit au début, mais je trouve finalement qu'il colle bien à l'intrigue et au ton du récit. La dernière partie, écrite par l'auteur plusieurs années après la première, donne tout de sens au récit et explique beaucoup de choses.
Profile Image for Francis.
135 reviews2 followers
August 25, 2017
Stunning art. That mix of "noir" and "70's advertisement" is superb. Interesting overall story but so many holes in there and unbelievable character development. Actually enjoyed reading it but too many things that make no sense to consider it a great graphic novel. Worth a read but not a buy.
122 reviews
December 26, 2023
Nous sommes en 1967 et nous suivons l’été du jeune Antoine Lafarge. Cela débute par un match de tennis d’Antoine face à Erik. Antoine remporte la confrontation, mais le père de son adversaire pète un câble. Plus tard, il retrouvera Erik et ils noueront une amitié, mais par dessus cet été somme toute ordinaire d’un fils de riche parsemé d’amour de vacances se trame un drame bien plus mystérieux.
La BD est coupée en deux parties. La seconde se déroulant vingt après où les mystères de 1967 se dénouent peu à peu. En fait, la BD est présentée comme un roman d’Antoine intitulé lui aussi : « un été Diabolik » en référence au personnage de BD Diabolik créé par les sœurs Guissani. D’ailleurs, ce roman est publié aux éditions Clairville alors que les aventures de Diabolik se déroulent dans la ville imaginaire de Clerville. Et le héros de Giallo apparaît de loin en loin dans l’histoire. Sincèrement cet hommage est particulièrement bien réalisé malgré un dessin sortant de l’ordinaire où l’encrage semble totalement absent. Ce fut une vraie découverte pour moi et une bonne surprise. Je le conseille vivement.
Profile Image for Anyone & Nobody.
290 reviews6 followers
December 6, 2017
Les couleurs pop de la couverture ont attiré mon regard et après avoir jeter un bref regard au résumé et à l'intérieur, je me suis laissée tenter par l'histoire de l'été diabolique d'Antoine.

Un été qui commençait pourtant bien avec une victoire dans un match de tennis mais dont l'issue enclenchera une série d'évènements impossible à stopper. Et c'est ce qu'Antoine se fait un devoir de raconter.

J'ai justement apprécié que cette intrigue mêlant drame familial et polar d'espionnage soit racontée comme une histoire vraie qui a obsédé des années durant le narrateur. Ça m'a permise de me sentir plus investie que je ne l'aurais été avec un roman d'espionnage, genre qui ne m'intéresse pas habituellement.

Alors bravo Thierry Smolderen et Alexandre Clérisse !
Profile Image for Yamaç Yalçın.
83 reviews4 followers
February 12, 2022
Fransa'nın en büyük çizgi roman festivali Angoulême International'de polisiye dalında en iyi seçilen Diabolik Yaz, Thierry Smolderen'in kaleme aldığı ilginç casusluk  hikayesini, Alexandre Clerisse'nin sıradışı, biraz "pop art"a kaçan çizimiyle buluşması sonucu ortaya çıkmış. Orijinali 2016'da Türkçesi ise 2018'de yayınlanmış.
Smolderen, hikayeyi tasarlarken 1962'de İtalyan Giussani kardeşler tarafından yaratılan anti kahraman hırsız Diabolik'ten esinlenmiş.
Yazarın hayalgücüne hayran kalmamak elde değil. Hikaye, Fransa'nın ufak bir kasabasında gelişen klişe bir gençlik anısı gibi başlayıp SSCB'ye ve Kennedy cinayetine kadar uzanan bir casusiyeye dönüşüyor. Bir yaz akşamı, çizgi roman sevenlere keyifli iki saat geçirtir.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews

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