Αρπακτικά 1

Rapaces #1

by Jean Dufaux (Writer), Enrico Marini (Illustrator), Λίνα Σιπηταλίνου (Translator)

Een hedendaags New York in een magisch-realistische setting. De stad wordt opgeschrikt door een reeks bizarre en ritualistische moorden, waarbij door de dader of daders wordt aangegeven dat de heerschappij van de slachtoffers ten einde loopt. De politie tast in het duister over de motieven. Alle slachtoffers vertonen gelijke verwondingen. Zo hebben allen een cyste achter het rechteroor, die doorboord is door een naald. Het spoor leidt de twee politiefunctionarissen, die op deze zaak worden gezet, naar de top van hun organisatie. Uit informatie in de marge kan worden afgeleid, dat twee groepen, waarvan de leden een zekere mate van onsterfelijkheid bezitten, een machtsstrijd uitvechten. Het spannende en onderhoudende verhaal speelt zich af op twee niveaus. Enerzijds het realistische niveau van het politieonderzoek en anderzijds het magisch-realistische niveau waarop hun antagonisten acteren. De schetsmatig realistisch tekeningen sluiten naadloos aan bij het intrigerende scenario. De aparte inkleuring zorgt voor een dreigende sfeer en geeft het album een bijzonder karakter. Naar vorm en inhoud is dit een fraai voorbeeld van hedendaagse stripkunst.

Genres: Comics, Bande Dessinée, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Horror, Vampires, Fiction

58 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent start but not enough questions answered about what's going on. A brother and sister in bondage gear are going around New York killing immortals by popping cysts behind their ears. Meanwhile, two police detectives get mired in this secret society while investigating the murders.

[L. McCoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

SUPER FAST REVIEW:
Eh, not for me. I didn’t think it was terrible, just not for me.
So it is definitely fast-paced and suspenseful. I was mildly interested in the characters by the end of the volume. It’s also kinda weird.
The story is nothing special, which is surprising coming from me as it’s a mix of crime and horror, a couple genres I love.There was also a gratuitous graphic death of a dog that (at least in this volume) did absolutely nothing for the plot and was not avenged. The dialogue is pretty bad. I also didn’t care for the art.
Overall, not a terrible read but not for me.

2/5

[BookCupid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your kingdom is doomed!

Lenore is a cop caught in a vampire investigation involving her boyfriend. But why are vampires targeting vamps? And what exactly does this mean for the humans left in this town?

The drawings are quite dark with sinister overtones, perfect for a vampire blood sucking theme. However, it is the fast paced action that kept me turning the pages. Hit me up with tome 2.

[Rosa Dracos99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excelente cómic de fantasía urbana en que los vampiros viven entre los humanos.
En este primer volumen, conocemos a los protagonistas, tanto humanos como vampíricos. Mientras que los primeros ignoran que comparten el mundo; los segundos han evolucionado a lo largo de los siglos, se han ido integrando en la sociedad y, en el momento de la trama en la ciudad de Nueva York, ostentan cargos de poder.
Una trama muy bien desarrollada y unas ilustraciones magistrales.

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

PT Comprei esta obra unicamente por ser ilustrada pelo Marini. Não esperava grande coisa da história, até porque me pareceu ser uma das menos conhecidas dele — ainda assim, surpreendeu-me pela positiva.

Não estava mesmo à espera do que encontrei: uma narrativa envolvente, com uma temática que me agrada bastante e que me deixou com vontade de pegar já no segundo volume.

Confesso que parte da boa impressão se deve ao factor surpresa... mas isso também conta, certo?

--

EN I bought this book solely because it was illustrated by Marini. I wasn’t expecting much from the story, especially since it seemed to be one of his lesser-known works — still, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

I really wasn’t expecting what I found: an engaging plot with a theme I really enjoy, and it left me wanting to dive straight into the second volume.

I’ll admit that part of my positive impression comes from the surprise factor… but that counts too, right?

[Rafa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predadores começa com potencial, porém, deixa muito a desejar.

A narrativa é muita apressada e os acontecimentos parecem não ter importância. Os personagens são superficiais, visto que a trama é tão precipitada, não há tempo para desenvolvimento. A melhor personagem é a mãe do policial italiano, que conseguiu ser mais carismática descrevendo uma receita de nhoque do que todos os outros envolvidos na história.

A ilustração é o melhor que a Graphic Novel tem a oferecer. Apesar de seu traço diferente, seu tom simples é bonito e elegante de se ver.

Uma pena que seja tudo tão corrido, pois fiquei minimamente interessado na mitologia vampiresca. Contudo a falta de ritmo é pesado demais pra mim.

[BozCitac · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story moves at such a fast pace, literally every single page contains more plot twists than most books do in entirety. However, it all ultimately doesn’t lead anywhere, since by the end nothing is resolved and only more questions are left unanswered. It really feels like this “1st volume” is merely supposed to advertise future installments and has no value on its own.
The visuals are nice overall, but female faces look just bizarre. For example, Benito’s sister appears in only 4 panels, and yet in every single one her face looks completely different! However, the backgrounds are just absurdly detailed!

[Pierre Louis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Premier tome d’une série de quatre, c’est une bonne lecture sans pour autant être phénoménale. L’histoire déboule rapidement et on a l’impression que l’auteur a voulu mettre la totalité de ses idées dans un seul numéro. On en ressort essouffler, mais sans pour autant avoir ce petit quelque chose qui donne envie d’avoir la réponse aux multiples questions qui se posent.

Les dessins sont supers – j’aime beaucoup le style de Marini – et l’ambiance est glauque à souhait. C’est une lecture agréable, mais il ne faut pas avoir l’attente de lire la série du siècle. Côté vampire, Anne Rice peut dormir en paix, elle restera la reine.

[Page_par_page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bd pour adulte très sympa, histoire intéressante

[Gamal Hennessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The crime/ horror mashup contains some familiar beats, but the appealing art style and pacing keep the story moving.

[Line Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bastante bueno, sabes como ocupar el mito del vampiro a su favor, el arte como siempre es un 10 por el artista Marini a ver como avanza.

[Kailey Wicked]

Read for the O.W.L.s Magical Readathon!

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

DPL hoopla

[Daniel Mossop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wouldn’t normally like these kinda cheesyish vampire stories but actually this was kinda cool and went from a slightly different angle the art is good too.

[Jannik Fogt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ganske hæderlig urban vampyr fortælling. Skal klart have fingrene i de næste par albums.

[Alessandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disegni semplicemente splendidi, ed una trama che già ha accelerato con notevole velocità. Questa serie è famosa per disegni e storia e finora, devo dire, è una fama più che meritata.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lidt på det jævne - gode baggrunde, ikke så godt til mennesker altid og fri mig for bodage tøjet.
Vil nok læse nr 2 da det er nogenlunde interessant nok, men låner den på biblioteket

[PuniPoli · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars..

[Vassia Dimokosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully drawn, and the story intrigued me. I will definitely read the rest of this series!

[Eduardo F. Gómez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comienzo de una investigación

[Sopa · Rating 4 out of 5]

No leí este, pero no encontré el otro, 😔

[Pierre-Olivier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bd policière de science-fiction, mettant en vedette : vampires, agent double et une protagoniste détective sur les traces de meutriers en série.

[Czterysta Czterdzieścicztery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zaczyna się jak historia kryminalna: policja odnajduje już trzecie ciało z dziwną przypadłością torbielą za uchem. Śledzimy zarówno dochodzenie policyjne, poruszenie wśród posiadaczy torbieli i rodzeństwo z okładki, które wyraźnie ma powody by się mścić.
Nie zawsze przekonują mnie scenariusze Jeana Dufaux, ale tym razem stworzył intrygującą opowieść, której klimat bardzo udanie tworzy Enrico Marini.

Scenariusz: ****
Rysunki: ****

[Lady Entropy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally bought a copy in English. It doesn't sound as good as the French version (weird, I know) but it is obviously a price to pay for something translated.

Now if only they made a full paperback version of it in English...

[Outi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not so memorable or original as a story but I really enjoyed the art in the book.

[Reetta Saine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Toivottavasti tästä kehkeytyy vielä tarina pelkän lakonisenrunollisen kielen ja roisin toiminnan oheen - viitteitä siihen suuntaan onneksi löytyi. Kuvituksessa on keskitytty... hmmm... olennaiseen.

[Inge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloody. Total mystery for a blood vendetta about something in the past.
People with cystes are everywhere.

[Sebastien Pascual · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent start of Marini's best cycle.

[A.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graphic novel. English title: Raptors.
Lenore is a detective and her partner Spiaggi is a little in awe of her. Their latest case is a series of baffling deaths. The coroner tells her the people may look old but their internal organs are equivalent to those of a newborn. Each has a cyst behind their right ear that has been punctured and they have bled to death. A male voice phoned it in, to tell them where to find the bodies.
The last one died in a locked apartment on the 123rd floor. The words, ‘your kingdom is doomed’ were written on the wall in blood.
‘Whose kingdom?’, Lenore asks. And that is the mystery.
The more she investigates, the more she learns about the people who have these cysts and they are people close to her: her boss Figges, and her cop lover Barnes. They are members of an underground power group has controlled the city for a very long time, but some new European vampires are in town and the local group is frightened of them. The leader describes the newcomers as ‘pure. They do not develop the cyst.
***
I spent years trying to find volume one in English with no luck. I bought a Spanish one second hand and have had fun translating it myself. There was too much missing from the story that obviously came from volume 1.
This is a graphic novel in both senses with full frontal male nudity. Yay!
The vampires, Camilla and Drago tick every box in my head canon for what vampires should be like.


wait... they have minifigures? [I have a new aim in lfie...]

Honestly, they embody sex and death. The de-fanged Edward sparkly Cullen was just so wrong. Ugh.
But come to think of it, all Marini’s men look like Drago. [and I have absolutely no problems with this.]
I love these… and it was worth the translation effort.
5 stars