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Croisade #1
Simoen Dja
The tale of a forgotten crusade, erased from history because it fell into the shadow of the devil.
Jerusalem is in the hands of Sultan Ab’dul Razim, and the Christians have raised an army to take it back, led by Grégoire of Arcos and the Duke of Taranto. Only Gauthier of Flanders and his sister-in-law Syria of Arcos are opposed to an attack they deem premature. But the stench of brimstone covers everything, and in a war fought in the name of God, it is the Qua’dj, a demon, who could decide the fate of the Holy Land…
Jerusalem is in the hands of Sultan Ab’dul Razim, and the Christians have raised an army to take it back, led by Grégoire of Arcos and the Duke of Taranto. Only Gauthier of Flanders and his sister-in-law Syria of Arcos are opposed to an attack they deem premature. But the stench of brimstone covers everything, and in a war fought in the name of God, it is the Qua’dj, a demon, who could decide the fate of the Holy Land…
56 pages, Paperback
First published November 22, 2007
8 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Jean Dufaux
477 books86 followersJean 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.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 24, 2018
I'm not liking this because of the woman characters. Sorry. I mean we are back to sterotypes - the blonde light skinned daughter is the good one; the brown haired, darker skinned daughter is the bad one. And why would a Christian go to a mosque?
April 28, 2022
I liked this - a little - for the worldbuilding, the subtle sorcery and fantasy, and of course the art... but the characters and the story are lacking. For now I give it the benefit of the doubt for being only the start of things, perhaps getting better as we go on and the plot picks up, but even then, you should be able to establish these things better from the start. This clemency on my part will not hold for long.
Two and a half stars.
Two and a half stars.
February 9, 2023
Another case of trusting Cinebook's choices to translate- despite not being into the looks of it. It's actually pretty good- the art is ok and Dufaux pens a good script so far!
They dedicated this to Hermann and I noticed that the Primate of Venice (a Pope-type) is unmistakably drawn in his style- to the point that you could stick him in any Huppen tome unnoticed.
They dedicated this to Hermann and I noticed that the Primate of Venice (a Pope-type) is unmistakably drawn in his style- to the point that you could stick him in any Huppen tome unnoticed.
February 19, 2020
This is the story of a "Lost Crusade", erased from history because it "fell into the shadow of the devil". Putting aside the rather embarrassing defeats and acts of bigotry and cruelty from the Crusades on record, it seems a stretch to think that this one was just beyond the pail... but in theory, it is a good premise and historical context for a story line.
And while the authors point out the religious fanaticism of the times on both sides, it falls short with the treatment of all characters: they lack complexity. Everyone falls squarely into the camp of good or evil (regardless of religious affiliation), with simple character traits of heros, villains, and a few neutrals (who are not influencing much of the story). The characters seem wooden, generic, which is, unfortunately, amplified by the artwork. Coloring and layout are beautifully rendered - but every character looks exactly alike, and if it weren't for the different hair styles and colors, I certainly wouldn't have been able to tell them apart.
On a personal note, it also jars me that the heros/martyrs of their respective religious sides are asked to remain pure, celebate & devout to remain in the good graces of their spiritual overlords - it re-hashes the need for the stereotype of the virginal/ pure savior. Could have done without that.
And while the authors point out the religious fanaticism of the times on both sides, it falls short with the treatment of all characters: they lack complexity. Everyone falls squarely into the camp of good or evil (regardless of religious affiliation), with simple character traits of heros, villains, and a few neutrals (who are not influencing much of the story). The characters seem wooden, generic, which is, unfortunately, amplified by the artwork. Coloring and layout are beautifully rendered - but every character looks exactly alike, and if it weren't for the different hair styles and colors, I certainly wouldn't have been able to tell them apart.
On a personal note, it also jars me that the heros/martyrs of their respective religious sides are asked to remain pure, celebate & devout to remain in the good graces of their spiritual overlords - it re-hashes the need for the stereotype of the virginal/ pure savior. Could have done without that.
October 15, 2015
Picked up the comic based on the Crusade theme. The art's good but the plot is very confusing, it's more a magical fantasy setting based in crusade's era. Not what i expected, also the storytelling leaves a lot to be desired. With many different powers in play, no effort is made to explained there origins or agenda.
Read the English Translation, only 4 of the 8 volumes has been translated.
Read the English Translation, only 4 of the 8 volumes has been translated.
January 31, 2021
Meni se jako svideo ovj strip. Od crteža preko price i elemenata misticizma i ljudske zlobe sve je jako lepo uklopljeno. Nekoliko izuzetnih likova na čelu sa sultanom. Priča o krstasima I njihovoj borbi ali iz vizure nogih aktera ove priče tako da nije sve uniform no I jednobrazno. Svidja mi se I momenat gde su ubacili velike slike tako što su preklopili dve stranice pa donijete sliku to jest tablu stripa na četiri stranice kad sve razmotate.
June 28, 2022
Je m'attendais à une BD historique sur les croisades. Le contexte y est, mais les personnages ne sont pas réels, il y a des monstres, des mort-vivants, du surnaturel... Vraiment ridicule.
January 13, 2025
Intrige, politiek, religieus fanatisme en ambitie maken een cocktail van waanzin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2025
Entertaining and great artwork, looking forward to #2
December 14, 2025
Mam słabość do opowieści historycznych, szczególnie do średniowiecza. O ile wolałbym po prostu opowieść osadzoną w ramach Wypraw Krzyżowych, to historyczne fantasy też może być.
Na razie Jean Dufaux nie wykorzystuje potencjału jaki byłby w stanie wykrzesać z tej opowieści, a pierwszy tom wyszedł mu poniżej przeciętnej: dużo niejasności, sztampowe wątki którym brak głębi, płytkie postaci.
Graficznie album stoi na solidnym poziomie, a dodatkowe strony do przedstawienia nacierających na siebie armii i panoramicznych kadrów były pozytywnym zaskoczeniem.
Scenariusz: **
Rysunki: ***
Na razie Jean Dufaux nie wykorzystuje potencjału jaki byłby w stanie wykrzesać z tej opowieści, a pierwszy tom wyszedł mu poniżej przeciętnej: dużo niejasności, sztampowe wątki którym brak głębi, płytkie postaci.
Graficznie album stoi na solidnym poziomie, a dodatkowe strony do przedstawienia nacierających na siebie armii i panoramicznych kadrów były pozytywnym zaskoczeniem.
Scenariusz: **
Rysunki: ***
May 4, 2018
Incoherent tired crap.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews