Aina

Jérôme K. Jérôme Bloche #25

by Alain Dodier (Illustrator)

A young woman, who doesn’t speak a word of English, shows up in Father Arthur’s church seeking refuge. Father Arthur takes her under his wing, but things soon take a turn for the worse when her pursuers show up on his doorstep. It’s not long before the padre, concerned for his kidnapped protegée’s well-being, calls on his friend Jerome Bloche. Together, they seek out the mysterious Aina and her captors, but they soon realize that not only are they up against a rather intimidating security guard, but some difficult moral questions.

Genres: Bande Dessinée, Graphic Novels, Comics

58 pages, ebook

Published February 1, 2017

Reviews

[Shai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading the Jerome K. Jerome Bloche really reminds me of the Hardy Boys, Sherlock Holmes, and other famous sleuth characters in novels. The plot of the story, as well as the characters, are both entertaining to read. However, I think the detective didn't have that much exposure or work done to solve the problem. Although that is the case, readers will still have a great time reading this graphic novel.

[Dimitri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het laatste plaatje maakt dit één van de meest charmerende albums in de Jerome Bloks reeks...maar ik wil niks verraden.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much of a story here and what is ultimately happening seems like a bunch of nonsense. Everyone just bumbles around with no answers until the very end everything is revealed without any detective work. The large amounts of Swahili drove me nuts because of the lack of translations. Nothing like an illustrated page of 2 people talking that you can't read. The art reminded me of Chris Sprouse.

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm... I'm guessing that, seeing as this is the 25th book in this series, the creative team behind them have kind of run out of ideas. What we have is a sort of modern-day Tintin-with-adults, as a girl flees a nasty bunch of older people, who seem like slave-owners, or something. The makers try to get Paris to be a multi-cultural city (although one that is practically empty of inhabitants when it rains...) but they really use short-hand with the slightly oddball detective, his girlfriend, and in fact everyone who populates these pages. I found a smidgen of racist ideas here ("ooh, sorry, guv, girls where I come from are feisty things, don't'cha know, lord strike a light", to paraphrase), the switch such as it is in the narrative didn't really convince, and I found the whole thing underwhelming. It's not horrendous, or unreadable, but it sure is disposable.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Jérôme K. Jérôme Bloche - Volume 25 - Aina' with script and art by Dodier is my first introduction to this series, but I had no problem diving right in. It reminded me a bit of the Tintin stories I've read, but with enough new twists that I liked.

A young girl named Aina makes an escape from a car. She seeks refuge in a church from Father Arthur. Jerome Bloche is called in on the case to help the girl who doesn't speak English. They find some twists and turns along the way, and not everything is as it seems.

I really liked this group of characters and how they interact in their neighborhood. From the shopkeepers that originally call Jerome to Jerome's best girl, Babette, to Father Arthur, who has a background in boxing. I also liked how the plot wasn't as straightforward as I initially thought. I really liked the art. It's got a great look and style and it's so perfect for this story.

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.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a nice little detective story with a surprisingly happy ending - especially for a story that starts out with such sinister overtones. Some of the text is in Swahili, which is really interesting - I just wish that the author had also provided some translations for the Swahili, as it was sometimes a bit confusing. I also would have liked a bit more background information about the setting and the detective at the story's heart. The art is very nice.

I received access to this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Abi Pellinor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an eCopy of this graphic novel in return for an unbiased review. I enjoyed this little, translated work which is based around the mystery of a girl who speaks no English seemingly wanting to escape from those she lives with, and these individuals seem to have a dark side to them. Why else would she seem so distressed? I think the drawing style is really nice and I like the way the plot develops. It did seem a little rushed at the end, but overall I did like the novel and I definitely want to look into the rest of the series. Something fun, not too heavy and quick to read.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just ok for me. I liked parts of it, whilst others felt a little less engaging. I think I would have preferred it if the story was a little more fleshed out because the base storyline, had me so interested but there just wasn't enough of it to get me truly invested. I've read so many amazing graphic novels, but this one left me a little disappointed.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the illustrations were beautiful and I appreciated the author's attempt at showcasing a diverse group of characters. I enjoyed most of the characters in the story as well. My only complaint is that I wish the story was a little more fleshed out. It didn't really feel like there was much for the detective to solve and the ending was a little confusing.

[Shakira · Rating 2 out of 5]

I needed to read a thriller or horror for my Defense Against the Dark Arts read for an Acceptable in NEWTs. I am not in a particular mood for either of those,so I looked up graphic novels and found this one. This was a little triggering for me. Kidnapping women and girls and forcing them to do anything is triggering for me, hence why this was not my favorite. It does have a Happy ending.

[Elia · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young African woman who speaks only Swahili runs away from her "boss" through the streets of Paris, where she is given sanctuary by a priest, who calls on his friend, P.I. Jerome Bloche to help figure out why the girl is running and who it is that is looking for her.

[Koen Claeys · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oei.... Dodier heeft een uiterst zwakke opeenvolging van gebeurtenissen op papier gezet (scenario zou een te groot compliment zijn). Vaak stelt het verhaal niet zoveel voor in deze reeks maar deze keer valt er voor het perfecte tekenwerk echt niets te redden.

[Bruno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beter dan #23, maar dit is voor een heel politiek correct verhaal, alweer heel braaf en middenklasse-bourgeois. Ontgoocheld in die laatste twee Bloches.

[Critterbee❇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

*eARC Netgalley*

[Vertdeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toujours un bon moment passé avec Jérôme K et la galerie de personnages qui l'entoure.

[Doom70 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise and we'll told little mystery. Wonderful and clean art that conveys emotion and intentions and action. Wish more volumes were available in English. Have to keep working on my French.

[Bert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een lichte tegenvaller. Gekocht uit nostalgie naar een stripreeks die mij zeer beviel toen ik nog Robbedoes weekblad las, maar helaas blijkt dit verhaal wel erg slapjes. Ik herinner me Jerome K. Jerome Bloks vanwege de soms slapstick-achtige humor, maar nog meer door de plotse ingevingen van het hoofdpersonage. Hier zie ik slechts één zo'n moment, en vanaf dan is het allemaal behoorlijk voorspelbaar.

[Emma Ferrier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books I don't know if I loved or hated so I've settled for the middle. I suppose I was expecting ore of a detective graphic novel but instead I got a foreign girl who doesn't speak the language who is trying to run away from something or someone... I forget. It was good but just not the book I was expecting to read

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Ruth Frampton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good artwork and an interesting storyline, this graphic novel follow a young girl, Aika, who only speaks Swahili who seeks sanctuary in a church. the exact nature of what she is running from is not clear but the urgency and action lead to an exciting journey with a happy if rushed ending.

[Angela Jett · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars
A girl leaps out of a car in a soggy Paris street and runs away from the people in the car. This is the opening to Aina. A good setup for a suspense, but unfortunately as the story unfolds it ends up being fairly predictable.
The friendship between Jerome, Babette and the Arthur offset some of this predictability. Very sweet tale in the end. Additionally, the artwork for the story is very well done.
Overall, a good, light read.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher, Europe Comics, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Jason Brown (Toastx2) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jerome K Jerome Bloche - Aina: an okay comic with a confusing name...

Another comic produced through Europe Comics, creator Alain Dodier’s Aina is a little confusing for a new reader.. but not bad confusing... Perspective based on a review copy supplied by the publisher

Aina is one issue in an ongoing series about Jerome K. Jerome Bloche, detective. Yes he has the name Jerome twice

In this graphic novel, Bloche and friends are searching for a woman named Aina who escapes an SUV street side and is chased by a bizarre cast of characters claiming to be her employer/bodyguard/fiance. Aina speaks no English (or French as this is a translated comic). Aina is experiencing some health issues and the people searching for her are just exasperating her difficulties. Bloche must determine the real story that is driving Aina’s problems and keep her safe.

Having no prior experience with him, I felt Bloche was a bit of a white bread sandwich. He is a detective and mooches rides off his friends. He wears a goofy detective ‘costume’ (hat, trench coat, and white sneakers) which make him feel a bit less capable of the job than I am sure he is intended

To be 100% upfront, I spent the first quarter if the book thinking Bloche was the author’s name and that this goofy detective guy was a secondary character. I was enthusiastic for Padre Arthur, the fisticuffs priest who fights off henchman Pacifico and takes Aina in from the cold. Through the novel, Padre Arthur shows his face on 31 pages, where JKJ Bloche shows his mug on 32. Arguably, this could be called ‘Padre Arthur: Aina’

Regardless, a nice Archie-esque storyline with pleasing characters and artistry to match!

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Disclosure - This review is based off a copy of the media supplied by the Publisher/Author for review purposes.