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Une Aventure de Spirou et Fantasio par... #4
Le journal d'un ingénu
Un jeune journaliste inconscient dénommé Fantasio déclenche l'apocalypse !
Et pourtant cette guerre aurait pu être évitée ! Des pourparlers entre émissaires polonais et Karl Von Glaubitz, premier secrétaire du ministre allemand des affaires étrangères Von Ribbentrop,, à Bruxelles, étaient dans une impasse lorsqu'un jeune groom du Moustic Hôtel, prénommé Spirou, a proposé une solution tout à fait originale au problème délicat de Dantzig qui semblait convenir à toutes les parties en présence. C'est à ce moment-là que le jeune Fantasio, un de nos collaborateurs à la rubrique des chiens écrasés, a surgi et tenté d'obtenir des informations auprès du délégué allemand. Devant le refus de celui-ci, une rixe éclata au cours de laquelle le jeune inconscient aurait flanqué son poing dans la figure du dignitaire nazi qui l'aurait assez mal pris. On s'attend à des représailles imminentes de la part de l'Allemagne. Des bombardiers de la Luftwaffe auraient décollé à l'aube en direction de la frontière polonaise...
Et pourtant cette guerre aurait pu être évitée ! Des pourparlers entre émissaires polonais et Karl Von Glaubitz, premier secrétaire du ministre allemand des affaires étrangères Von Ribbentrop,, à Bruxelles, étaient dans une impasse lorsqu'un jeune groom du Moustic Hôtel, prénommé Spirou, a proposé une solution tout à fait originale au problème délicat de Dantzig qui semblait convenir à toutes les parties en présence. C'est à ce moment-là que le jeune Fantasio, un de nos collaborateurs à la rubrique des chiens écrasés, a surgi et tenté d'obtenir des informations auprès du délégué allemand. Devant le refus de celui-ci, une rixe éclata au cours de laquelle le jeune inconscient aurait flanqué son poing dans la figure du dignitaire nazi qui l'aurait assez mal pris. On s'attend à des représailles imminentes de la part de l'Allemagne. Des bombardiers de la Luftwaffe auraient décollé à l'aube en direction de la frontière polonaise...
72 pages, Hardcover
First published April 23, 2008
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186 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
March 31, 2022
Pročitala sam ovo ponovo i još je smešnije i pametnije nego prvi put.
Živa šteta što ga nema u prodaji.
Živa šteta što ga nema u prodaji.
March 30, 2017
Za pocetak moram reci da je trebalo vremena dok se nisam navika na artwork ali posle trece stranice kada te likovi uvuku u ovaj svet na promenu stila totalno zaboravis. Inace sasvim leo "origin story" za Sprua i Fantazija upakovan u relativno ozbiljnu pricu. Nekako je sve ozbiljnije i na momente mracnije mada svremena na vreme humor ne izostaje.
Odlican strip i moze da bude odlican uvod za nekoga ko ne poznaje svet Spirua i Fantazija.
Odlican strip i moze da bude odlican uvod za nekoga ko ne poznaje svet Spirua i Fantazija.
July 21, 2014
This is yet another one of the special Spriou albums where artists that are not the creators on the regular series gets a change to play around with this classic character.
Émile Bravo has both written and drawn this story, which is set in Belgium in 1939 and he sets out to explain several things about the main character Spirou; a sort of ret-con if you will, albeit an unofficial one. And he does a pretty good job at it. Bravo manages to explain why Spirou’s Squirrel seems to have almost human traits, how Spriou and Fantasio met, why Spriou kept his piccolo uniform even after he stopped working at the Moustic hotel, why he’s been so averse to any kind of female interest and so on, and he does this in a story that is actually both well written and exciting to read. Not a mean feat.
The art suits the story line well, but is a bit too stiff for my liking. It’s actually more ligne claire and less Marcinelle style. Considering that there are loads of jokes concerning the Tintin series, including the fact that Spirou walks around dressed like Tintin for a long part of the story, this can of course be seen as fitting. For comics history buffs, there are other nods at classic French-Belgian comics, like for instance Spirou’s spectacled little friend Maurice, who is quite evidently a child version of Maurice de Bevere, or Morris, the creator of Lucky Luke.
Bravo has both written and drawn a lot of comics, but besides this album, I’ve so far only read the beautiful and touching Ma maman est en Amérique, elle a rencontré Buffalo Bill (My mom is in America, she has met Buffalo Bill).
Anyway, I’m enjoying reading these what-if stories about Spirou immensely, and I’m very thankful to the Danish publisher Cobolt for making them available in a Scandinavian language, as the publishers of my home country Sweden have so far been uninterested in these special albums.
Émile Bravo has both written and drawn this story, which is set in Belgium in 1939 and he sets out to explain several things about the main character Spirou; a sort of ret-con if you will, albeit an unofficial one. And he does a pretty good job at it. Bravo manages to explain why Spirou’s Squirrel seems to have almost human traits, how Spriou and Fantasio met, why Spriou kept his piccolo uniform even after he stopped working at the Moustic hotel, why he’s been so averse to any kind of female interest and so on, and he does this in a story that is actually both well written and exciting to read. Not a mean feat.
The art suits the story line well, but is a bit too stiff for my liking. It’s actually more ligne claire and less Marcinelle style. Considering that there are loads of jokes concerning the Tintin series, including the fact that Spirou walks around dressed like Tintin for a long part of the story, this can of course be seen as fitting. For comics history buffs, there are other nods at classic French-Belgian comics, like for instance Spirou’s spectacled little friend Maurice, who is quite evidently a child version of Maurice de Bevere, or Morris, the creator of Lucky Luke.
Bravo has both written and drawn a lot of comics, but besides this album, I’ve so far only read the beautiful and touching Ma maman est en Amérique, elle a rencontré Buffalo Bill (My mom is in America, she has met Buffalo Bill).
Anyway, I’m enjoying reading these what-if stories about Spirou immensely, and I’m very thankful to the Danish publisher Cobolt for making them available in a Scandinavian language, as the publishers of my home country Sweden have so far been uninterested in these special albums.
December 6, 2018
Spirou is a famous character in Belgium and this comic was initially published in the Danish language but I guess it's now also available in English. Spirou is, as the subtitle suggests, a naive young man who isn't very educated in terms of the political issues going around in his country and the continent itself. He works as a bellboy in a hotel that hosts quite a few 'known' personalities and when political ideas and plans start brewing in the hotel, by these politically strong guests, Spirou is forced to brush up his geographical knowledge and even his general knowledge. The plot covers WW2 and is quite impressively interwoven with Spirou's own story.
For those who have read the infamous Spirou series, this works as a gap filler to answer a lot of questions that readers seem to have been asking for all these years: like why Spirou keeps on his bell boy uniform or why does his pet squirrel possess humanlike consciousness. The art is the classic box style with each scene comprising of little movements and conversational dialogues compartmentalized in little boxes. The drawing and color palette is also good but it wasn't something I found very interesting or appealing which is the reason for the loss of one star. The other one went away for my personal preference doesn't include historical, real war themes and while I thought the art would interest me enough to consider the war theme, it didn't.
Anyway, I would recommend this to those who like historical fictions strewn with the story of a famous fictional character through art.
For those who have read the infamous Spirou series, this works as a gap filler to answer a lot of questions that readers seem to have been asking for all these years: like why Spirou keeps on his bell boy uniform or why does his pet squirrel possess humanlike consciousness. The art is the classic box style with each scene comprising of little movements and conversational dialogues compartmentalized in little boxes. The drawing and color palette is also good but it wasn't something I found very interesting or appealing which is the reason for the loss of one star. The other one went away for my personal preference doesn't include historical, real war themes and while I thought the art would interest me enough to consider the war theme, it didn't.
Anyway, I would recommend this to those who like historical fictions strewn with the story of a famous fictional character through art.
Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this via Netgalley but that, in no way, influences my rating and/or thoughts about it. Thank you Emile Bravo and Europe Comics!
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July 3, 2023
D.(L.) 2008/0089/38 (April?) = Code Prix DU06 (13,50?) = eo
->I HATE cover swastikas but he pulls it off brilliantly
I've been trusting Bravo, Vives and Merwan with anything in my € range and coming out aces with smooth French ex-library action! "The Bibliomecca" just reached 1,200 French, but even though I want to sell down to 1000 even as the numbers rise, those three creators are cemented with full confidence going forward.
Émile pulls off the partnering of Spirou and Fantasio (a definitive adult already balding) with craft enough to make you confident that there wasn't any molestering afoot. As much as it would be refreshing for a homosexual duo that is presented as natural (not overstated- thus trivializing), Spirou is but a boy so Bravo making him clearly hetero takes that awkwardness out of speculation enough for my sensibilities.
This almost made my "nonfiction or based on" because there is so much pre-WWII information within. As a non-European, everything that I learned was new to me. Just the fact that it's fully set in Belgium is great too because, despite reading their bd feverishly, I still haven't captured the vibe/atmosphere differences from non-Paris France enough yet to be able to relate it to someone and I'm sure that Belgians hate to be an unpronounced nation known only for being the best in the world in bd, beer, sprouts, waffles and their type of chocolate (Right BobFish?). So many have the story elsewhere or are forced to go with France for certain plot reasons like population density and such that I've witnessed so often.
Just read it- I need to go to the parents' for Mother's Day...
->I HATE cover swastikas but he pulls it off brilliantly
I've been trusting Bravo, Vives and Merwan with anything in my € range and coming out aces with smooth French ex-library action! "The Bibliomecca" just reached 1,200 French, but even though I want to sell down to 1000 even as the numbers rise, those three creators are cemented with full confidence going forward.
Émile pulls off the partnering of Spirou and Fantasio (a definitive adult already balding) with craft enough to make you confident that there wasn't any molestering afoot. As much as it would be refreshing for a homosexual duo that is presented as natural (not overstated- thus trivializing), Spirou is but a boy so Bravo making him clearly hetero takes that awkwardness out of speculation enough for my sensibilities.
This almost made my "nonfiction or based on" because there is so much pre-WWII information within. As a non-European, everything that I learned was new to me. Just the fact that it's fully set in Belgium is great too because, despite reading their bd feverishly, I still haven't captured the vibe/atmosphere differences from non-Paris France enough yet to be able to relate it to someone and I'm sure that Belgians hate to be an unpronounced nation known only for being the best in the world in bd, beer, sprouts, waffles and their type of chocolate (Right BobFish?). So many have the story elsewhere or are forced to go with France for certain plot reasons like population density and such that I've witnessed so often.
Just read it- I need to go to the parents' for Mother's Day...
November 4, 2019
Reseña completa en el blog: Lengua Sucinta
August 3, 2016
Beautifully drawn and written. One of the best Spirou albums in a long long time. It manages to be funny, warm and entertaining while being also a tribute to the main series and a nostalgic revisitation of childhood. Particularly charming is the little Spanish boy, which is clearly Emile Bravo's self portrait as a little Spanish refugee. I hope there is a sequel to this and that one day this gets published in English, not very likely at present... Merveilleux!!!
September 29, 2024
Bravo narra los orígenes del personaje y su encuentro con Spip y Fantasio a la vez que convierte el hotel en un microcosmos de la Europa anterior a la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Los personajes están muy bien desarrollados y el estilo de Bravo evoca los primeros años de Franquin con muy buenos resultados.
November 5, 2022
(PT) Em agosto de 1939, um jovem paquete de um dos melhores hotéis de Bruxelas leva as malas dos hóspedes aos quartos, ignorando que nos seus salões, se negoceia a guerra ou a paz na Europa. E por causa disso, ele tentar impedir a entrada de um metediço dentro do hotel, um jornalista que tenta sacar um furo para o seu jornal.
"O Diário de um Ingénuo" é um excelente livro sobre as origens de Spirou. Um órfão, criado entre padres, que irá trabalhar cedo como paquete, num hotel onde se envolve entre segredos dos hóspedes e conversas sobre o futuro da Europa. E logo em Bruxelas, nas vésperas da guerra, e onde se mete entre potências e ideologias que estavam em conflito.
E também como ele conhece Fantásio, e como Spip, o esquilo, não é o seu nome original!
É um excelente livro, onde de uma certa forma se resgata uma das personagens mais interessantes do universo da Banda Desenhada. Muito mais realista que as aventuras que fizeram todos eles famosos, ao longo de meio século - especialmente aqueles criados por André Franquin - consegue encaixar bem entre a fantasia e a realidade. E nem sempre isso acontece. Gostei de ler.
"O Diário de um Ingénuo" é um excelente livro sobre as origens de Spirou. Um órfão, criado entre padres, que irá trabalhar cedo como paquete, num hotel onde se envolve entre segredos dos hóspedes e conversas sobre o futuro da Europa. E logo em Bruxelas, nas vésperas da guerra, e onde se mete entre potências e ideologias que estavam em conflito.
E também como ele conhece Fantásio, e como Spip, o esquilo, não é o seu nome original!
É um excelente livro, onde de uma certa forma se resgata uma das personagens mais interessantes do universo da Banda Desenhada. Muito mais realista que as aventuras que fizeram todos eles famosos, ao longo de meio século - especialmente aqueles criados por André Franquin - consegue encaixar bem entre a fantasia e a realidade. E nem sempre isso acontece. Gostei de ler.
November 19, 2013
Hacia tiempo que no leía nada tan bueno. Ahora las 5 estrellas que he puesto a algún título de la serie de Spirou me parecen demasiado al lado esta obra maestra de Émile Bravo.
"Diario de un ingenuo" aparece al margen de la serie original de Spirou, de la que se han publicado 53 títulos ya. Y bien, ocurre que un cómic que debería ser una nota al margen de una magna serie histórica, un título externo hecho por un autor ocasional, se convierte es una obra maestra descomunal.
De recuperan antiguos elementos que todo lector de Spirou reconoce (lo que es muy agradable, como reencontrarse con viejos amigos), incluye algún autohomenaje, recuerdos de otros cómics contemporáneos y sobre todo madura la historia para ofrecerla a todos los públicos.
Queda la inquieta sensación de estar ante un cómic que quiere remontarse a sus propios orígenes, pero con el bagaje abrumador de cincuenta años de vida editorial.
Es una obra sutil e inteligente, muy trabajada formalmente y en la que se percibe que quizás estemos ante el gran título final de las aventuras de Spirou y Fantasio.
"Diario de un ingenuo" aparece al margen de la serie original de Spirou, de la que se han publicado 53 títulos ya. Y bien, ocurre que un cómic que debería ser una nota al margen de una magna serie histórica, un título externo hecho por un autor ocasional, se convierte es una obra maestra descomunal.
De recuperan antiguos elementos que todo lector de Spirou reconoce (lo que es muy agradable, como reencontrarse con viejos amigos), incluye algún autohomenaje, recuerdos de otros cómics contemporáneos y sobre todo madura la historia para ofrecerla a todos los públicos.
Queda la inquieta sensación de estar ante un cómic que quiere remontarse a sus propios orígenes, pero con el bagaje abrumador de cincuenta años de vida editorial.
Es una obra sutil e inteligente, muy trabajada formalmente y en la que se percibe que quizás estemos ante el gran título final de las aventuras de Spirou y Fantasio.
May 3, 2023
Sans aucun doute l’un de mes tomes préférés de la série🥹 j’adore que ce préquel couvre tous les insides qui se sont créés durant la série et qui apporte, comme à l’habitude, le côté touchant qui nous attache beaucoup trop aux personnages. Contente d’avoir rencontré Kassandra et surtout de m’être absolument BIDONNÉE sur tous les gags wow spirou c’est beaucoup trop DRÔLE
July 9, 2020
Intento de enseñarnos como se conocio el famoso tandem,lastima que los rebajen a bobos hasta un nivel ridiculo.
January 29, 2019
En rigtig fin lille historie, om end et godt stykke fra det noget mere gakkede og action-prægede man har været vant til fra Splint. Både stil og stemning minder faktisk ret meget om Tintin (og Splint bliver faktisk sammenlignet med Tintin flere gange i historien).
Min største anke mod historien er, at der er rigtig meget politik i bogen, og det meste af det er meget klodset indsat. Det føles af og til som en historietime der handler om den ideologiske optakt til Anden Verdenskrig, og det kunne godt have været mere elegant håndteret.
Min største anke mod historien er, at der er rigtig meget politik i bogen, og det meste af det er meget klodset indsat. Det føles af og til som en historietime der handler om den ideologiske optakt til Anden Verdenskrig, og det kunne godt have været mere elegant håndteret.
January 5, 2020
Efficace, drôle, moderne.
Que demande le peuple ?
Pour être plus précise : je n'ai jamais été une amoureuse de la BD "traditionnelle", "classique". D'habitude, je n'aime pas trop ces cases carrées, ces phylactères (je me la pète avec mon p'tit vocabulaire) géométriques, cette typo hyper normée. Mais ici, j'ai adoré. Les dessins sont tendres et incisifs (les deux, oui, c'est possible), les textes sont drôles et impertinents, les personnages sont attachants (et ils ont des défauts, donc j'adore, superbe). L'histoire est très bien conduite, tout est très efficace.
Que demande le peuple ?
Pour être plus précise : je n'ai jamais été une amoureuse de la BD "traditionnelle", "classique". D'habitude, je n'aime pas trop ces cases carrées, ces phylactères (je me la pète avec mon p'tit vocabulaire) géométriques, cette typo hyper normée. Mais ici, j'ai adoré. Les dessins sont tendres et incisifs (les deux, oui, c'est possible), les textes sont drôles et impertinents, les personnages sont attachants (et ils ont des défauts, donc j'adore, superbe). L'histoire est très bien conduite, tout est très efficace.
February 3, 2023
Nunca li nenhuma aventura da dupla Spirou e Fantásio, por isso, pegar neste livro foi descobrir todo um mundo que desconheço... mas curiosamente gostei desta história, com alguns momentos de humor franco-belga, mas também com uma história bem estruturada e interessante. E bem desenhada!
October 26, 2022
Muy bueno. Entretenido.
November 7, 2025
Dos melhores quadrinhos que leio em tempos recentes, absurdamente perfeito em todos os asptectos, arte, narrativa, temática, discussões políticas e filosóficas, roteiro, tudo, tudo impecável.
March 13, 2019
I would like to thank Europe Comics for providing me with a free electronic ARC of this book, via Netgalley. Any reviews I give are done obligation free, and are unpaid… well, unless you count getting this book for free… but we won’t go there. ;-)
Now, the character of Spirou has been a Belgium comic legend since the 1930’s. But this particular comic book was first published in 2018 so, although based on the life of Spirou – and set in 1939 - I think it’s a fairly new creation. And, if the art looks familiar that is because, like me, the author and artist Émile Bravo was a fan of the famous Tintin. And, if I’m honest, it was the reason I asked to read it… as I was a fan of Tintin in my teens… But, I grew up on Asterix and Obelix, so have a history of French and Belgium comics. :-D
Oh, I also like how they do make the joke that Spirou looks a little like the famous Tintin comic book hero of their era… Seeing Tintin was set a few years earlier… I think. I mean, I could go all analytical and google all this information to make it look like I know what I’m talking about, but nah! I would much rather talk from recollection and not sound like I am writing yet another essay for my degree.
Okay, so ‘Spirou: The Diary of a Naive Young Man’ is – if you haven’t guessed it – a comic or graphic novel. It depends on what you want to call it. I always called such books “comics” but know some die hard comic book fans who, once they hit 18, had to justify their love of such things by calling them graphic novels. I’m 43 this year… I still read comic books. Nothing fragile about my ego!
I have to say I really loved ‘Spirou: The Diary of a Naive Young Man’, and had never even heard of Spirou before I requested it. It was the Tintin like art that attracted me and, although there are similarities in the story (location, era, etc) Spirou is indeed a very different hero to Tintin.
‘Spirou: The Diary of a Naive Young Man’ is (I think) the first in the series as it was setting up the life of Spirou and his reporter friend Fantasio as the world heads into World War Two. I don’t want to go into what they were up to, as that would be giving the plot away, but Spirou comes across as having all the right stuff to being the next “boy next door” hero. He isn’t as bold, worldly, or educated as Tintin, and his adventures so far is more low key, but it is obvious he has a big heart and just wants the world to be happy and safe. So, yes, a little naive too.
The reason I loved it so much is because it was yet another comic series I could see myself enjoying – like Tintin, but not. I really want to emphasise that, although I keep likening Spirou to Tintin, they are two different and very distinct characters. I just enjoyed Spirou as it REMINDED me of Tintin, without being a Tintin rip off… If that makes sense?
The only reason I didn’t give ‘Spirou: The Diary of a Naive Young Man’ a full five star rating is because I read it as a PDF on my 7 inch tablet and so it was sometimes hard to see all the details, read it clearly, etc. If I had read it as a paper book, I wouldn’t have had these issues…. If I had a bigger tablet, I am sure it would have been fine too. So if anyone wants me to review it on a bigger tablet, I prefer Samsung. ;-)
Would I recommend this book to others?
Yes I would. And yes I would say it’s like Tintin but not. It is a fun, historically set comic book that does have enough of the serious nature to make you think and to educate you on our past histories. I can’t say it would ever be deemed as a suitable way to teach the historical build-up to World War Two to teens… but it would be a fun way to pad out more historically factual texts. Heck, I learnt a lot about Roman occupied Europe from Asterix and Obelix. ;-)
Would I buy this book for myself?
Yes I would. And, until someone buys me a larger tablet, I would prefer to have it as a paperback rather than electronic. And I will be looking out to see if there will be more books in this series. One is never too old for a decent comic book.
In summary: A good historical adventure story of a young Belgium orphan dealing with a world about to descend into war.
Now, the character of Spirou has been a Belgium comic legend since the 1930’s. But this particular comic book was first published in 2018 so, although based on the life of Spirou – and set in 1939 - I think it’s a fairly new creation. And, if the art looks familiar that is because, like me, the author and artist Émile Bravo was a fan of the famous Tintin. And, if I’m honest, it was the reason I asked to read it… as I was a fan of Tintin in my teens… But, I grew up on Asterix and Obelix, so have a history of French and Belgium comics. :-D
Oh, I also like how they do make the joke that Spirou looks a little like the famous Tintin comic book hero of their era… Seeing Tintin was set a few years earlier… I think. I mean, I could go all analytical and google all this information to make it look like I know what I’m talking about, but nah! I would much rather talk from recollection and not sound like I am writing yet another essay for my degree.
Okay, so ‘Spirou: The Diary of a Naive Young Man’ is – if you haven’t guessed it – a comic or graphic novel. It depends on what you want to call it. I always called such books “comics” but know some die hard comic book fans who, once they hit 18, had to justify their love of such things by calling them graphic novels. I’m 43 this year… I still read comic books. Nothing fragile about my ego!
I have to say I really loved ‘Spirou: The Diary of a Naive Young Man’, and had never even heard of Spirou before I requested it. It was the Tintin like art that attracted me and, although there are similarities in the story (location, era, etc) Spirou is indeed a very different hero to Tintin.
‘Spirou: The Diary of a Naive Young Man’ is (I think) the first in the series as it was setting up the life of Spirou and his reporter friend Fantasio as the world heads into World War Two. I don’t want to go into what they were up to, as that would be giving the plot away, but Spirou comes across as having all the right stuff to being the next “boy next door” hero. He isn’t as bold, worldly, or educated as Tintin, and his adventures so far is more low key, but it is obvious he has a big heart and just wants the world to be happy and safe. So, yes, a little naive too.
The reason I loved it so much is because it was yet another comic series I could see myself enjoying – like Tintin, but not. I really want to emphasise that, although I keep likening Spirou to Tintin, they are two different and very distinct characters. I just enjoyed Spirou as it REMINDED me of Tintin, without being a Tintin rip off… If that makes sense?
The only reason I didn’t give ‘Spirou: The Diary of a Naive Young Man’ a full five star rating is because I read it as a PDF on my 7 inch tablet and so it was sometimes hard to see all the details, read it clearly, etc. If I had read it as a paper book, I wouldn’t have had these issues…. If I had a bigger tablet, I am sure it would have been fine too. So if anyone wants me to review it on a bigger tablet, I prefer Samsung. ;-)
Would I recommend this book to others?
Yes I would. And yes I would say it’s like Tintin but not. It is a fun, historically set comic book that does have enough of the serious nature to make you think and to educate you on our past histories. I can’t say it would ever be deemed as a suitable way to teach the historical build-up to World War Two to teens… but it would be a fun way to pad out more historically factual texts. Heck, I learnt a lot about Roman occupied Europe from Asterix and Obelix. ;-)
Would I buy this book for myself?
Yes I would. And, until someone buys me a larger tablet, I would prefer to have it as a paperback rather than electronic. And I will be looking out to see if there will be more books in this series. One is never too old for a decent comic book.
In summary: A good historical adventure story of a young Belgium orphan dealing with a world about to descend into war.
July 30, 2014
This is one of the special Spriou albums where artists that are not the creators on the regular series gets a change to play around with this classic character. It is also the very first in this series to be published in Swedish.
Story:
Émile Bravo has both written and drawn this story, which is set during WWII, in the occupied Belgium of 1939, and follows the young Soirou as a piccolo for the hotel Mustic, who gets entangled in the resistance movement against the German forces. A story in which the hero meets his long time friend Fantasio for the first time and a lot of the original setting of this album series are given plausible explanations.
Art:
The retro art suits this story and it's historic setting well, but is a bit too stiff for my liking. It’s actually more Ligne claire, of Hergé/Tintin fame, and less Marcinelle, the in-house style of the Spirou magazine. Considering that there are numerous jokes concerning the Tintin series in this story, including the fact that for various reasons Spirou walks around dressed like Tintin for a major part of the story, this can of course be seen as fitting. For comics history buffs, there are other nods at classic French-Belgian comics, like for instance Spirou’s spectacled little friend Maurice, who is quite evidently a child version of Maurice de Bevere, or Morris, the creator of Lucky Luke.
Critique:
Emile Bravo sets out to explain several things about the main character Spirou; a sort of ret-con if you will, albeit an unofficial one. And he does a pretty good job of it. Bravo manages to explain why Spirou’s Squirrel seems to have almost human traits, how Spriou and Fantasio met, why Spriou kept his piccolo uniform even after he stopped working at the Moustic hotel, why he’s been so averse to any kind of female interest and so on. And he does this in a story that is actually both well written and exciting to read. Not a mean feat.
I’m really enjoying reading these what-if stories about Spirou immensely, and I’m very thankful to the Danish publisher Cobolt for making them available in my own language Swedish, something I asked for in a review of the Danish edition here on Goodreads just a few months ago. Good going Cobolt!
Comments:
This is, as stated earlier, the very first of these special Spirou albums to be published in Swedish, thus the numer 1 after the title, but it's actually the fourth in the original, French series.
Bravo has both written and drawn a lot of comics, but besides this album, I’ve so far only read the beautiful and touching Ma maman est en Amérique, elle a rencontré Buffalo Bill (My Mom is in America, She has Met Buffalo Bill). I'm hoping to rectify this in the near future as Bravo feels like an artist to keep your eyes on.
Story:
Émile Bravo has both written and drawn this story, which is set during WWII, in the occupied Belgium of 1939, and follows the young Soirou as a piccolo for the hotel Mustic, who gets entangled in the resistance movement against the German forces. A story in which the hero meets his long time friend Fantasio for the first time and a lot of the original setting of this album series are given plausible explanations.
Art:
The retro art suits this story and it's historic setting well, but is a bit too stiff for my liking. It’s actually more Ligne claire, of Hergé/Tintin fame, and less Marcinelle, the in-house style of the Spirou magazine. Considering that there are numerous jokes concerning the Tintin series in this story, including the fact that for various reasons Spirou walks around dressed like Tintin for a major part of the story, this can of course be seen as fitting. For comics history buffs, there are other nods at classic French-Belgian comics, like for instance Spirou’s spectacled little friend Maurice, who is quite evidently a child version of Maurice de Bevere, or Morris, the creator of Lucky Luke.
Critique:
Emile Bravo sets out to explain several things about the main character Spirou; a sort of ret-con if you will, albeit an unofficial one. And he does a pretty good job of it. Bravo manages to explain why Spirou’s Squirrel seems to have almost human traits, how Spriou and Fantasio met, why Spriou kept his piccolo uniform even after he stopped working at the Moustic hotel, why he’s been so averse to any kind of female interest and so on. And he does this in a story that is actually both well written and exciting to read. Not a mean feat.
I’m really enjoying reading these what-if stories about Spirou immensely, and I’m very thankful to the Danish publisher Cobolt for making them available in my own language Swedish, something I asked for in a review of the Danish edition here on Goodreads just a few months ago. Good going Cobolt!
Comments:
This is, as stated earlier, the very first of these special Spirou albums to be published in Swedish, thus the numer 1 after the title, but it's actually the fourth in the original, French series.
Bravo has both written and drawn a lot of comics, but besides this album, I’ve so far only read the beautiful and touching Ma maman est en Amérique, elle a rencontré Buffalo Bill (My Mom is in America, She has Met Buffalo Bill). I'm hoping to rectify this in the near future as Bravo feels like an artist to keep your eyes on.
September 12, 2023
(I did read this in the original French)
Iconic Belgian character Spirou, often part of a comedic duo with his counterpart, Fantasio, is placed in a World War 2 era story. The Nazis have taken over and occupied Belgium, but the average person still has to get on with their lives. This is the situation in which the reader follows Spirou. Bombings, food shortages, political and social unrest, and all the miseries brought on by war. It's a far cry from the kind of story people might expect from this character, but Emile Bravo does an excellent job casting a classic figure into a completely different kind of story.
If it were a novel it probably would have lumped under the "YA" umbrella because it's never entirely clear if this is supposed to be teen or adult fiction. Sometimes while reading it feels like Bravo was deliberately trying to pull punches, but didn't want to and the story felt softer than it maybe could have or should have been. It's seems like a small grievance, but I felt like it had to be said.
It's a much more dramatic story than I would have expected, but it was rewarding. This first volume is the first of four, but lays the foundation for the larger narrative very well. I would recommend this for people 13 and up. Not because it's violent, but thematically it's probably too sophisticated for younger readers. Children won't get the subtle references to real historical events and people. It's not a story that should be diluted because missing out on those details removes the depth and by extension the quality of the writing. Special mention for the artistic execution. Fanny Benoit does a great job with the colors and despite being recent, Bravo's illustrations for this comic masterfully recreate the visual style of the older stories featuring the same character.
Iconic Belgian character Spirou, often part of a comedic duo with his counterpart, Fantasio, is placed in a World War 2 era story. The Nazis have taken over and occupied Belgium, but the average person still has to get on with their lives. This is the situation in which the reader follows Spirou. Bombings, food shortages, political and social unrest, and all the miseries brought on by war. It's a far cry from the kind of story people might expect from this character, but Emile Bravo does an excellent job casting a classic figure into a completely different kind of story.
If it were a novel it probably would have lumped under the "YA" umbrella because it's never entirely clear if this is supposed to be teen or adult fiction. Sometimes while reading it feels like Bravo was deliberately trying to pull punches, but didn't want to and the story felt softer than it maybe could have or should have been. It's seems like a small grievance, but I felt like it had to be said.
It's a much more dramatic story than I would have expected, but it was rewarding. This first volume is the first of four, but lays the foundation for the larger narrative very well. I would recommend this for people 13 and up. Not because it's violent, but thematically it's probably too sophisticated for younger readers. Children won't get the subtle references to real historical events and people. It's not a story that should be diluted because missing out on those details removes the depth and by extension the quality of the writing. Special mention for the artistic execution. Fanny Benoit does a great job with the colors and despite being recent, Bravo's illustrations for this comic masterfully recreate the visual style of the older stories featuring the same character.
January 24, 2015
Een mooie prequel voor de Robbedoes-serie. Net als in Amerikaanse superheldenfilms (soms) wel gebeurt, probeert Bravo Robbedoes en Kwabbernoot in een wat realistischer setting te plaatsen en een wat dieper gevoelsleven te geven dan ze in de oorspronkelijke (meer voor kinderen bedoelde) serie hadden. Dat leidt tot een soort huiskamerdrama waarin het avontuur ver te zoeken is, en de twee hoofdpersonen meer huns ondanks betrokken raken bij de aanloop naar de Tweede Wereldoorlog.
Ingetogener dan de Robbedoes van Yann en Schwartz (die meer op de stijl van Chaland is geënt).
Ik heb me extra vermaakt doordat ik online per ongeluk de Brusselse versie had besteld in plaats van de Franse. Dat is een vertaling in Brussels dialect, een mengeling van Frans en Vlaams die voor een Nederlandstalige waarschijnlijk makkelijker te lezen is dan voor een Fransman die geen Vlaams kan. (Maar zonder een beetje Frans kom je er ook niet uit.)
(Waarom 'Journal d'un ingénu' in de Nederlandse versie 'Dagboek van een fantast' is geworden, is mij trouwens een raadsel.)
Ingetogener dan de Robbedoes van Yann en Schwartz (die meer op de stijl van Chaland is geënt).
Ik heb me extra vermaakt doordat ik online per ongeluk de Brusselse versie had besteld in plaats van de Franse. Dat is een vertaling in Brussels dialect, een mengeling van Frans en Vlaams die voor een Nederlandstalige waarschijnlijk makkelijker te lezen is dan voor een Fransman die geen Vlaams kan. (Maar zonder een beetje Frans kom je er ook niet uit.)
(Waarom 'Journal d'un ingénu' in de Nederlandse versie 'Dagboek van een fantast' is geworden, is mij trouwens een raadsel.)
December 15, 2018
'Spirou: The Diary of a Naive Young Man' with art and story by Emile Bravo is a new story of a classic character by a new artist.
Spirou is an orphan who works as a bellboy in a hotel. He heads up sports with other boys and has a pet squirrel. The hotel job keeps him busy and the hotel is full of interesting people. There is a famous boxer and a famous fashion designer having an affair. There is also a negotiation between a Nazi and some folks from Poland. The outcome of these talks could mean war is coming, but could it come for Belgium as well?
It's done in a clever style. There are TinTin jokes, but they run a bit thin. Spirou is pretty naive about a lot of things in this comic, so the title fits well. I liked the adventure and humor of this title.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Spirou is an orphan who works as a bellboy in a hotel. He heads up sports with other boys and has a pet squirrel. The hotel job keeps him busy and the hotel is full of interesting people. There is a famous boxer and a famous fashion designer having an affair. There is also a negotiation between a Nazi and some folks from Poland. The outcome of these talks could mean war is coming, but could it come for Belgium as well?
It's done in a clever style. There are TinTin jokes, but they run a bit thin. Spirou is pretty naive about a lot of things in this comic, so the title fits well. I liked the adventure and humor of this title.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
December 7, 2018
Read in English.
I really don't think the world of Spirou had ever crossed my path before now, but on this evidence it can very much stay out of my way. Irritating kidult, irritating adults, the unsubtlety dial ramped up to eleven, oh – and an arch squirrel. I might have thought the chap facing the birth of WW2 might have been interesting, but all of the characters are duplicitous and just want to seem something other than what they are. They want to seem innocent, sincere, interesting? They're not, they're not and – you guessed it – they're not. Yawn.
I really don't think the world of Spirou had ever crossed my path before now, but on this evidence it can very much stay out of my way. Irritating kidult, irritating adults, the unsubtlety dial ramped up to eleven, oh – and an arch squirrel. I might have thought the chap facing the birth of WW2 might have been interesting, but all of the characters are duplicitous and just want to seem something other than what they are. They want to seem innocent, sincere, interesting? They're not, they're not and – you guessed it – they're not. Yawn.
November 1, 2019
Lo acabo de releer antes de ponerme con La esperanza pese a todo, y se mantiene tan bien como recordaba. La labor de reconstrucción del personaje para dotar a sus historias de matices políticos es sensacional, y los guiños a su propia mitología, a Tintin o a la Bélgica de antes de la Segunda Guerra Mundial son deliciosos. Todo ello sin sacrificar el encanto naif que caracteriza los tebeos de Spirou. Obra maestra.
January 16, 2021
2.5*
Great art, fun story. Perhaps not especially memorable, but nonetheless enjoyable. There is some kind of joke within the story about how Spirou is trying to be Tintin, which was funny in a meta way - no Snowy though, Spirou has a pet squirrel instead.
Great art, fun story. Perhaps not especially memorable, but nonetheless enjoyable. There is some kind of joke within the story about how Spirou is trying to be Tintin, which was funny in a meta way - no Snowy though, Spirou has a pet squirrel instead.
November 1, 2022
Gostei muito de fazer esta leitura, recomendo, a edição é linda e a história também me convenceu 😉
December 24, 2019
Bruxelles, été 1939.
Le Moustik Hôtel reçoit des personnes ayant une haute fonction en Allemagne mais Spirou, le groom est introuvable.
Celui-ci est un bon samaritain mais est très ingénu.
Voulant aider les gosses du quartier, Spirou se retrouve en pleine dispute sur des différents religieux.
De retour à son poste, il tombe sous le charme de la nouvelle femme de chambre et accueille des personnalités qui vont l’aider dans certaines situations.
En rentrant chez lui, Spirou tombe sur Fantasio qui aimerait bien se servir de Spirou pour avoir quelque chose de croustillant pour son prochain article.
C’est au Moustik que va se décider du sort du monde, de la guerre ou de la paix, autant dire que Spirou est aux premières loges. Grâce à sa nouvelle amie, il va apprendre pleins de choses sur la guerre, les Juifs, la Pologne…
Comment Spirou va-t-il vivre la Seconde Guerre mondiale ?
Quels choix fera-t-il ? Retrouvera-t-il son amie mystérieusement disparue ?
Ce quatrième tome « d’Une aventure de Spirou et Fantasio par… » montre les prémices de la guerre et le début de la résistance de certains Belges face au nazisme.
Une lecture vue plutôt comme une réflexion sur la conscience politique, les religions, le nazisme et les débuts…, la rencontre de Spirou et Fantasio, l’avenir de Spirou, les réponses aux nombreuses questions des lecteurs se dévoilent grâce à Emile Bravo.
La guerre vue également par les enfants et ce qu’ils entendent de leurs parents. Spirou est vu comme une personne naïve, il ne sait rien de la guerre qui se prépare et c’est par le hasard de ses rencontres qu’il va comprendre les enjeux et les conséquences de cette celle-ci.
Les aventures de Spirou durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale s’annonce des plus intéressantes !
Le Moustik Hôtel reçoit des personnes ayant une haute fonction en Allemagne mais Spirou, le groom est introuvable.
Celui-ci est un bon samaritain mais est très ingénu.
Voulant aider les gosses du quartier, Spirou se retrouve en pleine dispute sur des différents religieux.
De retour à son poste, il tombe sous le charme de la nouvelle femme de chambre et accueille des personnalités qui vont l’aider dans certaines situations.
En rentrant chez lui, Spirou tombe sur Fantasio qui aimerait bien se servir de Spirou pour avoir quelque chose de croustillant pour son prochain article.
C’est au Moustik que va se décider du sort du monde, de la guerre ou de la paix, autant dire que Spirou est aux premières loges. Grâce à sa nouvelle amie, il va apprendre pleins de choses sur la guerre, les Juifs, la Pologne…
Comment Spirou va-t-il vivre la Seconde Guerre mondiale ?
Quels choix fera-t-il ? Retrouvera-t-il son amie mystérieusement disparue ?
Ce quatrième tome « d’Une aventure de Spirou et Fantasio par… » montre les prémices de la guerre et le début de la résistance de certains Belges face au nazisme.
Une lecture vue plutôt comme une réflexion sur la conscience politique, les religions, le nazisme et les débuts…, la rencontre de Spirou et Fantasio, l’avenir de Spirou, les réponses aux nombreuses questions des lecteurs se dévoilent grâce à Emile Bravo.
La guerre vue également par les enfants et ce qu’ils entendent de leurs parents. Spirou est vu comme une personne naïve, il ne sait rien de la guerre qui se prépare et c’est par le hasard de ses rencontres qu’il va comprendre les enjeux et les conséquences de cette celle-ci.
Les aventures de Spirou durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale s’annonce des plus intéressantes !
July 5, 2020
'Dagboek van een fantast' van Émile Bravo wordt gelauwerd als een der meesterwerken van de serie 'Robbedoes door...'. Bravo heeft in ieder geval een zeer aansprekende stijl, die overigens meer met de klare lijn van Hergé van doen heeft dan met de Robbedoestraditie, maar een erg goede vertalenverteller is de auteur niet.
Bravo's Robbedoes werkt daadwerkelijk in een hotel, aan de vooravond van de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Zijn Robbedoes is een nogal bedeesde, naïeve late tiener, die niettemin het voorbeeld is voor de jongetjes in de buurt (maar waarom blijft onduidelijk). Bravo's Kwabbernoot is een onvoorzichtige, ja lompe losbol die niet verder denkt dan zijn neus lang is. Het is dan ook volledig onduidelijk waarom Robbedoes vrienden wordt met deze talentloze etterbak. En wat Bravo met Spip doet, is al helemaal schandalig.
Geen van de twee figuren is erg sympathiek of aansprekend en het is een beetje een raadsel waarom Bravo deze twee klassieke helden heeft gekozen voor zijn oorlogsvertelling. Bravo maakt deze veel te groot en koppelt Robbedoes aan de Poolse kwestie en het Molotov-Ribbentrop-pact. Niettemin emmert Bravo's verhaal maar een beetje door: het is een beetje een coming-of-age, een beetje een oorlogsdrama, maar vooral een geschiedenisles. De climax (ca. blz. 55-59) is zo ongeloofwaardig dat ik met deze pagina's met afkeer las. En sowieso: waar is de spanning? Waar is het conflict? Na 66 vermoeiende bladzijdes eindigt het verhaal met de suggestie dat deze twee niksige personages de Robbedoes en Kwabbernoot zullen worden die we allemaal kennen, maar ik geloof er niks van...
Bravo's Robbedoes werkt daadwerkelijk in een hotel, aan de vooravond van de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Zijn Robbedoes is een nogal bedeesde, naïeve late tiener, die niettemin het voorbeeld is voor de jongetjes in de buurt (maar waarom blijft onduidelijk). Bravo's Kwabbernoot is een onvoorzichtige, ja lompe losbol die niet verder denkt dan zijn neus lang is. Het is dan ook volledig onduidelijk waarom Robbedoes vrienden wordt met deze talentloze etterbak. En wat Bravo met Spip doet, is al helemaal schandalig.
Geen van de twee figuren is erg sympathiek of aansprekend en het is een beetje een raadsel waarom Bravo deze twee klassieke helden heeft gekozen voor zijn oorlogsvertelling. Bravo maakt deze veel te groot en koppelt Robbedoes aan de Poolse kwestie en het Molotov-Ribbentrop-pact. Niettemin emmert Bravo's verhaal maar een beetje door: het is een beetje een coming-of-age, een beetje een oorlogsdrama, maar vooral een geschiedenisles. De climax (ca. blz. 55-59) is zo ongeloofwaardig dat ik met deze pagina's met afkeer las. En sowieso: waar is de spanning? Waar is het conflict? Na 66 vermoeiende bladzijdes eindigt het verhaal met de suggestie dat deze twee niksige personages de Robbedoes en Kwabbernoot zullen worden die we allemaal kennen, maar ik geloof er niks van...
July 4, 2017
I used to read a lot of Spirou in my childhood, 30 years ago. Back then, I felt it was like a spin on Tintin, but with its own gallery and style. For quite a few years now, I have found my way back to comics, reading both classics and newer ones to ease my brain from the often heavy technical stuff I read.
The other day, I decided to pick up this adventure and a classical collection of Spirou by Franquin to see if I still would like them - and this led to a pleasant surprise. But I do believe this book also could be read by anyone that does not wear the nostalgic childhood glasses.
The art is fantastic, and I will for sure see if there is anything else done by Emile Bravo I can pick up in Swedish. The tone is both serious and comical - and I even felt a bit sad in the end - not what I had expected from a Spirou adventure. It also explained some things in the Spirou series, and gave me a new interesting view of the sidekick Spip. It also made me thirsty to open up a Chimay, dream of Brussels and jump into the next Spirou adventure, albeit something more matinee like. Oh, I will reread it in the future.
For a longer review in Swedish, https://web.archive.org/web/201707042...
The other day, I decided to pick up this adventure and a classical collection of Spirou by Franquin to see if I still would like them - and this led to a pleasant surprise. But I do believe this book also could be read by anyone that does not wear the nostalgic childhood glasses.
The art is fantastic, and I will for sure see if there is anything else done by Emile Bravo I can pick up in Swedish. The tone is both serious and comical - and I even felt a bit sad in the end - not what I had expected from a Spirou adventure. It also explained some things in the Spirou series, and gave me a new interesting view of the sidekick Spip. It also made me thirsty to open up a Chimay, dream of Brussels and jump into the next Spirou adventure, albeit something more matinee like. Oh, I will reread it in the future.
For a longer review in Swedish, https://web.archive.org/web/201707042...
March 25, 2022
Spirou es un personaje clásico de la BD. franco-belga ( más bien belga , en este caso). Más allá de las historias clásicas de André Franquin, otros autores han tomado prestado el personaje para dar su propia versión. Ese fue el caso del pequeno Spirou y, más recientemente de esta versión de Émile Bravo. En ella asistimos a una especie de ret-con del origen de Spirou, Spif y su amistad con Fantasio (que es quien sale peor parado) en el contexto de las semanas previas al inicio de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. El personaje y su entorno adquieren así una dimensión historica y política que les aporta tridimensionalidad e interés, convirtiendose en el vehículo perfecto para una reflexión sobre la sociedad belga y la Europa de la guerra.
Se lee con mucho agrado y la aparente simplicidad esconde profundidades interesantes.
El inicio de una saga que narra la ocupación nazi de Bélgica a través de los ojos del segundo de sus famosos héroes del cómic.
Se lee con mucho agrado y la aparente simplicidad esconde profundidades interesantes.
El inicio de una saga que narra la ocupación nazi de Bélgica a través de los ojos del segundo de sus famosos héroes del cómic.
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