What do you think?
Rate this book
Largo Winch #1-2
The Heir
Largo Winczlav, born in Yugoslavia, is an orphan. Thousands of miles away, one of the richest men in the world will change Largo's destiny. This man, Nerio Winch, wants to find an heir to his empire and adopts Largo, offering him the best education. When his adoptive father disappears under dramatic circumstances, Largo inherits the W Group, the biggest conglomerate of multinational enterprises ever possessed and managed by a single man. From now on, he will be worth $10 billion. Which is not to everybody's taste, as he is about to find out.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
8 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 23, 2013
James Bond meets Tintin in a grown-up, explicitly violent and sex-driven rollercoaster ride through the poshest locations around the globe.
A Belgian comic, drawn in a the ligne eclaire style of Herge (hence my Tintin connection) , featuring Largo Winch - a billionaire 26 y.o. playboy who is handy with a knife, an occasional helicopter or boat, who would rather go himself after criminals and adversaries than involve the police. He is a womanizer and a smooth dresser, a ruthless killer when the situation demands it (hence my James Bond reference, updated for the 90's jet set style)
The plots of the first albums revolve heavily around the high finance world, as Largo tries to gain control of his multinational corporation and ferret out the bad apples with the help of a professional thief and several other recurring characters. I would say this series is the equivalent of a summertime big budget blockbuster action thriller ( I believe there actually is a movie version of it, but I haven't seen it.)
The art of Philippe Franck is very slick and shows great ability at facial expressions and action sequences. His backgrounds are photo realistic (probably uses the same techniques as Herge studio).
Van Hamme has scripted several other very succesful comic series (Thorgal, XIII) and I think I will check them out after I finish with Largo.
I don't like to write individual reviews for each issue of the series, so I will probably put a resume here as I make progress:
The Heir Nerio Winch, the founder and majority shareholder in the W corporation is murdered, while Largo is framed for a murder in Istanbul. Largo needs to escape and prove he is the rightful owner of the group. [9/10]
The W Group Largo meets the top management of the corporation and has to unmask the killer of his adoptive father. [9/10]
Takeover Bid Largo gets involved in a duel with one of his father's competitors and puts some of his own money at risk in trying to buy him out. Betrayed by someone in his own organization, he could end up losing control of the shares. [8/10]
Business Blues The plot thickens with some Lybian terrorists and Israeli double agents thrown in. Hair raising chases through the streets of New York in a spectacular, but slightly forced finale. [7/10]
H Largo is in Paris for the opening of a luxury hotel, where he is once again framed for murder and on the run. Again, someone inside the organization is playing a double game, involving a heroin smuggling operation. [8/10]
The Dutch Connection A very action intensive number, with beautiful renditions of Amsterdam, and a high number of casualties. Better denouement than previous arc. [8/10]
more to come ...
A Belgian comic, drawn in a the ligne eclaire style of Herge (hence my Tintin connection) , featuring Largo Winch - a billionaire 26 y.o. playboy who is handy with a knife, an occasional helicopter or boat, who would rather go himself after criminals and adversaries than involve the police. He is a womanizer and a smooth dresser, a ruthless killer when the situation demands it (hence my James Bond reference, updated for the 90's jet set style)
The plots of the first albums revolve heavily around the high finance world, as Largo tries to gain control of his multinational corporation and ferret out the bad apples with the help of a professional thief and several other recurring characters. I would say this series is the equivalent of a summertime big budget blockbuster action thriller ( I believe there actually is a movie version of it, but I haven't seen it.)
The art of Philippe Franck is very slick and shows great ability at facial expressions and action sequences. His backgrounds are photo realistic (probably uses the same techniques as Herge studio).
Van Hamme has scripted several other very succesful comic series (Thorgal, XIII) and I think I will check them out after I finish with Largo.
I don't like to write individual reviews for each issue of the series, so I will probably put a resume here as I make progress:
The Heir Nerio Winch, the founder and majority shareholder in the W corporation is murdered, while Largo is framed for a murder in Istanbul. Largo needs to escape and prove he is the rightful owner of the group. [9/10]
The W Group Largo meets the top management of the corporation and has to unmask the killer of his adoptive father. [9/10]
Takeover Bid Largo gets involved in a duel with one of his father's competitors and puts some of his own money at risk in trying to buy him out. Betrayed by someone in his own organization, he could end up losing control of the shares. [8/10]
Business Blues The plot thickens with some Lybian terrorists and Israeli double agents thrown in. Hair raising chases through the streets of New York in a spectacular, but slightly forced finale. [7/10]
H Largo is in Paris for the opening of a luxury hotel, where he is once again framed for murder and on the run. Again, someone inside the organization is playing a double game, involving a heroin smuggling operation. [8/10]
The Dutch Connection A very action intensive number, with beautiful renditions of Amsterdam, and a high number of casualties. Better denouement than previous arc. [8/10]
more to come ...
December 30, 2015
Largo Winch by Philippe Francq (artist) and Jean Van Hamme (script writer) is a Belgian comic series which can be found translated to English. The series contain 8 installments (as far as I know), and each installment includes 2 volumes. 18 volumes up to the moment of writing this review.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Check out my reviews on other volumes:
Volumes 3 & 4
Volumes 5 & 6
Volumes 7 & 8
Volume 9
Volume 10
__________
My first impression was: why does the illustration look kinda outdated (fashion/hairstyle-wise)? So, I looked it up and found out that the original work was published in the early 1990s. I was impressed with the illustrations and fonts. The script is well written and leaves no space for boredom. I also enjoyed the sense of humor that doesn't try so hard.
It's about Largo Winczlav aka Largo Winch; a 26-year-old Yugoslavian orphan who tries to preserve his new gigantic inheritance left by a distant American relative who is also his adoptive father, Neiro Winch, while getting himself into a lot of trouble. This is more than just a comic book; there is a great emphasis on economics. It shows that wealth doesn't always come with comforts; there is a lot to jeopardize and things are hard to compromise.
The Heir (Vol. 1):
A conspiracy driven by greed is weaved to take down Largo Winch who is the adopted son and sole heir of one of the biggest tycoons in the world. LW inherits a $10 billion business empire which gets him framed for murder in Istanbul, and that is followed by several attempts of assassination. He's quite a badass who manages to endure the challenges he faces.
Sample from L'Héritier; the French version of The Heir.
The W Group (Vol. 2):
The mastermind of the conspiracy is apparently one of the shareholders in the W Group, and LW's taking over his business pisses him off. He is obviously detested by many members of the board of directors. Flashbacks from LW's past start to highlight that his adventurous character is old news. He's always been a free-spirit, womanizer, troublemaker, and a tough challenger.
Sample from Le Groupe W; the French version of The W Group.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Check out my reviews on other volumes:
Volumes 3 & 4
Volumes 5 & 6
Volumes 7 & 8
Volume 9
Volume 10
__________
My first impression was: why does the illustration look kinda outdated (fashion/hairstyle-wise)? So, I looked it up and found out that the original work was published in the early 1990s. I was impressed with the illustrations and fonts. The script is well written and leaves no space for boredom. I also enjoyed the sense of humor that doesn't try so hard.
It's about Largo Winczlav aka Largo Winch; a 26-year-old Yugoslavian orphan who tries to preserve his new gigantic inheritance left by a distant American relative who is also his adoptive father, Neiro Winch, while getting himself into a lot of trouble. This is more than just a comic book; there is a great emphasis on economics. It shows that wealth doesn't always come with comforts; there is a lot to jeopardize and things are hard to compromise.
The Heir (Vol. 1):
A conspiracy driven by greed is weaved to take down Largo Winch who is the adopted son and sole heir of one of the biggest tycoons in the world. LW inherits a $10 billion business empire which gets him framed for murder in Istanbul, and that is followed by several attempts of assassination. He's quite a badass who manages to endure the challenges he faces.
Sample from L'Héritier; the French version of The Heir.
The W Group (Vol. 2):
The mastermind of the conspiracy is apparently one of the shareholders in the W Group, and LW's taking over his business pisses him off. He is obviously detested by many members of the board of directors. Flashbacks from LW's past start to highlight that his adventurous character is old news. He's always been a free-spirit, womanizer, troublemaker, and a tough challenger.
Sample from Le Groupe W; the French version of The W Group.
July 26, 2023
UK English Cinebook Edition = Tomes 1 & 2 = 2008
Some art modified for their "more sensitive readers"
Narrative: ****
Art: ***
The color is just awful- like it has been for every Cinebook in this series that I've read. Look at Largo on the cover from the waist up to see what I mean along with Nerio in the first scene, whose skin is shaded the worst that I ever remember seeing. In general, it looks a bit off around the edges and light is captured poorly. There is also too much orange tone and the face colors often look like they were slathered with cheap tanning cream. I've assumed that it must have been their reproductions but maybe the French editions are as bad as well.
Some art modified for their "more sensitive readers"
Narrative: ****
Art: ***
The color is just awful- like it has been for every Cinebook in this series that I've read. Look at Largo on the cover from the waist up to see what I mean along with Nerio in the first scene, whose skin is shaded the worst that I ever remember seeing. In general, it looks a bit off around the edges and light is captured poorly. There is also too much orange tone and the face colors often look like they were slathered with cheap tanning cream. I've assumed that it must have been their reproductions but maybe the French editions are as bad as well.
June 19, 2014
Geld verdirbt den Charakter
Außer natürlich, man ist schon als Kind und Jugendlicher durch eine hartes, entbehrungsreiches Leben dem ganzen Glitzer der Millionen eher skeptisch gegenüber eingestellt. Und so richtig will Largo eigentlich das Erbe seines Adoptivvaters und Multimilliardärs gar nicht haben - wie auch die Vorstände der ganzen Tochtergesellschaften des W-Konzerns, der "Groupe W" nicht wollen, dass ein junger, wilder und ganz offensichtlich ungezähmter Frischling sich in "ihre" Geschäfte einmischt; und wenn soviel auf dem Spiel steht, schreckt einer dieser Vorstände selbst vor mehrfachem Mord nicht zurück, um seinen status quo behalten zu können...
Normalerweise mag ich Zeichnungen mit so einem haarfeinen Strich nicht so sehr - ich bevorzuge fette Tuschung, dicke Pinselstriche, denn diese sorgen für Charakter und Dynamik. Sicherlich hätte das auch dieser Serie gut getan, aber die grandiose Kolorierung sorgt für Ausgleich, und so verliere ich meine Vorurteile mit fortschreitender Seitenzahl. Eine vielleicht schon etwas abgenutzte Story-Idee (vom Bettler zum Millionär durch eine Erbschaft) wird durch ein gewitztes Script und einen interessanten Hauptcharakter, dessen Geschichte wir durch dauernde Rückblenden miterleben dürfen, deutlich aufgewertet. Hin und wieder sieht man ein paar Panels mit Ahhhh!-Moment, an denen man mit den Augen hängenbleibt, ansonsten ist der Pace ziemlich hoch und erlaubt nur selten ruhige Momente, wie Largos Rendezvous im Löwenkäfig oder der Tanz mit seiner Tante in Liechtenstein. Die bédés beruhen auf einer Romanserie des Co-Autors Van Hamme, und man spürt diese gewisse Literarizität im Aufbau, der komplex und trotz der Einfachheit der Prämisse spannend ist.
Zumindest diese ersten beiden Bände, zusammengefasst in einen handlichen Doppelband, bauen stark aufeinander auf, man sollte die Reihe wohl insgesamt der Nummerierung folgend lesen. Mal schauen, vielleicht schaue ich mir dann irgendwann auch mal den Film dazu an.
Außer natürlich, man ist schon als Kind und Jugendlicher durch eine hartes, entbehrungsreiches Leben dem ganzen Glitzer der Millionen eher skeptisch gegenüber eingestellt. Und so richtig will Largo eigentlich das Erbe seines Adoptivvaters und Multimilliardärs gar nicht haben - wie auch die Vorstände der ganzen Tochtergesellschaften des W-Konzerns, der "Groupe W" nicht wollen, dass ein junger, wilder und ganz offensichtlich ungezähmter Frischling sich in "ihre" Geschäfte einmischt; und wenn soviel auf dem Spiel steht, schreckt einer dieser Vorstände selbst vor mehrfachem Mord nicht zurück, um seinen status quo behalten zu können...
Normalerweise mag ich Zeichnungen mit so einem haarfeinen Strich nicht so sehr - ich bevorzuge fette Tuschung, dicke Pinselstriche, denn diese sorgen für Charakter und Dynamik. Sicherlich hätte das auch dieser Serie gut getan, aber die grandiose Kolorierung sorgt für Ausgleich, und so verliere ich meine Vorurteile mit fortschreitender Seitenzahl. Eine vielleicht schon etwas abgenutzte Story-Idee (vom Bettler zum Millionär durch eine Erbschaft) wird durch ein gewitztes Script und einen interessanten Hauptcharakter, dessen Geschichte wir durch dauernde Rückblenden miterleben dürfen, deutlich aufgewertet. Hin und wieder sieht man ein paar Panels mit Ahhhh!-Moment, an denen man mit den Augen hängenbleibt, ansonsten ist der Pace ziemlich hoch und erlaubt nur selten ruhige Momente, wie Largos Rendezvous im Löwenkäfig oder der Tanz mit seiner Tante in Liechtenstein. Die bédés beruhen auf einer Romanserie des Co-Autors Van Hamme, und man spürt diese gewisse Literarizität im Aufbau, der komplex und trotz der Einfachheit der Prämisse spannend ist.
Zumindest diese ersten beiden Bände, zusammengefasst in einen handlichen Doppelband, bauen stark aufeinander auf, man sollte die Reihe wohl insgesamt der Nummerierung folgend lesen. Mal schauen, vielleicht schaue ich mir dann irgendwann auch mal den Film dazu an.
December 28, 2015
I wanted to review a comic book series for quite a while, but I was not sure the ones I love were actually translated into English. My angst was relished when I found the Largo Winch in English and in Kindle edition at the bargain price of $7. Largo Winch is one of the most popular comic series in France, with more than 500,000 comic books sold. It is actually a Belgian hero as the scenarist (Van Hamme) and the cartoonist (Francq) are Belgian.
Largo, born Large Winczlav, is adopted by the billionaire Nero Winch. When his adoptive father is murdered, he inherits the Group W, a vast conglomerate worth $10Bn. In the series, Largo faces difficult situations where he has to fight competitors determine to steal his inheritance or take control of the group. He is helped in this task by some trustworthy executives and his childhood friends, Simon Ovronnaz and Freddy Kaplan.
What I like in this series is that Largo is a playboy through and through. He is handsome, seduces women easily and do not hesitate to confront corrupt politicians, sadist businessmen as well as to box their vulgar henchmen. The drawings are really good and the scenarios are always intelligent. Each story within the series lasts for two books so do not hesitate to buy them two by two in order to avoid an unbearable suspense.
365books.weebly.com
Largo, born Large Winczlav, is adopted by the billionaire Nero Winch. When his adoptive father is murdered, he inherits the Group W, a vast conglomerate worth $10Bn. In the series, Largo faces difficult situations where he has to fight competitors determine to steal his inheritance or take control of the group. He is helped in this task by some trustworthy executives and his childhood friends, Simon Ovronnaz and Freddy Kaplan.
What I like in this series is that Largo is a playboy through and through. He is handsome, seduces women easily and do not hesitate to confront corrupt politicians, sadist businessmen as well as to box their vulgar henchmen. The drawings are really good and the scenarios are always intelligent. Each story within the series lasts for two books so do not hesitate to buy them two by two in order to avoid an unbearable suspense.
365books.weebly.com
January 5, 2014
The first Cinebook volume collecting the first two albums, L'héritier (The Heir) and Le Groupe W (The W Group), in the series about writer Jean Van Hamme and artist Philippe Francq's orphan billionaire adventurer, Largo Winch.
The two albums in question forms a complete arc, and is basically the origin story of the character, setting him up for future adventures.
All in all, an interesting mix of action and high finance, which is likely to appeal to fans of James Bond, Modesty Blaise, and other series in that vein.
The two albums in question forms a complete arc, and is basically the origin story of the character, setting him up for future adventures.
All in all, an interesting mix of action and high finance, which is likely to appeal to fans of James Bond, Modesty Blaise, and other series in that vein.
September 1, 2018
Beh, mi è piaciuto.
Che poi, non conoscendo il protagonista, ero convinta che Largo Winch fosse il nome di una strada, tipo largo San Giovanni... Beata ignoranza!
Si parla di alta finanza, intrighi internazionali, milioni di dollari, omicidi e persone pronte a tutto pur di avere tanti soldi. Largo assomiglia un po' a James Bond: intelligente e bravo ad uscire da qualunque situazione spinosa. Alla morte del padre adottiva, Largo eredita un impero della finanza che deve imparare a gestire, anche se il padre si era premunito e l'aveva preparato a puntino.
Nella seconda parte, purtroppo, ci sono parecchi flashback e a volte non si riusciva a capire che era un flashback, anche perché non c'erano segnali grafici che potessero aiutare a capire.
Il tratto non mi piace tanto. Molto ligne claire però continuo a leggere. Ovvio se la faccenda si fa troppo contorta, sono anche pronta ad abbandonare tutto.
Mi piace l'edizione della Gazzetta. Formato grande e carta lucida...
Che poi, non conoscendo il protagonista, ero convinta che Largo Winch fosse il nome di una strada, tipo largo San Giovanni... Beata ignoranza!
Si parla di alta finanza, intrighi internazionali, milioni di dollari, omicidi e persone pronte a tutto pur di avere tanti soldi. Largo assomiglia un po' a James Bond: intelligente e bravo ad uscire da qualunque situazione spinosa. Alla morte del padre adottiva, Largo eredita un impero della finanza che deve imparare a gestire, anche se il padre si era premunito e l'aveva preparato a puntino.
Nella seconda parte, purtroppo, ci sono parecchi flashback e a volte non si riusciva a capire che era un flashback, anche perché non c'erano segnali grafici che potessero aiutare a capire.
Il tratto non mi piace tanto. Molto ligne claire però continuo a leggere. Ovvio se la faccenda si fa troppo contorta, sono anche pronta ad abbandonare tutto.
Mi piace l'edizione della Gazzetta. Formato grande e carta lucida...
June 24, 2025
4.5 stars
This has some broadly similar overlap to playboy bad-ass stories like James Bond or Batman, but with the classed-up geopolitical POV I’d expect from a European comic. Largo is the adopted Yugoslavian secret heir to the world’s richest man, soon to be left the inheritance of running it all. Instead of working within a national intelligence agency or his own clandestine superhero act, his unusually adventurous childhood has prepared him to fight off both physical threats but also navigate much bigger geopolitical/financial threats. This initial volume sees him forced to overcome both, and minus a bit of dated sexism it’s a pretty timelessly fun read.
“…when playing hard ‘realpolitik,’ you must have the courage to see it through and stop whining. Everything will work out fine.”
“You don’t belong to yourself, Largo. You belong to the future that I’ve laid out for you.”
This has some broadly similar overlap to playboy bad-ass stories like James Bond or Batman, but with the classed-up geopolitical POV I’d expect from a European comic. Largo is the adopted Yugoslavian secret heir to the world’s richest man, soon to be left the inheritance of running it all. Instead of working within a national intelligence agency or his own clandestine superhero act, his unusually adventurous childhood has prepared him to fight off both physical threats but also navigate much bigger geopolitical/financial threats. This initial volume sees him forced to overcome both, and minus a bit of dated sexism it’s a pretty timelessly fun read.
“…when playing hard ‘realpolitik,’ you must have the courage to see it through and stop whining. Everything will work out fine.”
“You don’t belong to yourself, Largo. You belong to the future that I’ve laid out for you.”
February 27, 2019
First two volumes of Largo Winch adventures describing how he inherited the W group from his father.
Interesting story, lots of action and adventure. It paves the way for further look at Largo himself because although he is a rich playboy he sure is capable of picking up the fight with anyone who threatens him.
One thing that annoyed me (and why it is not 4 stars) is a complete mess when it comes to Largo's origins - Yugoslavia. Being familiar with the area I am pretty sure you don't have gypsy circus troupes anywhere over there, and especially no Polish names. As a matter of fact only thing they got correct is woman name Danica (where c = tz in local languages).
But even with all of the above it is enjoyable story, got me looking for volume 2.
Interesting story, lots of action and adventure. It paves the way for further look at Largo himself because although he is a rich playboy he sure is capable of picking up the fight with anyone who threatens him.
One thing that annoyed me (and why it is not 4 stars) is a complete mess when it comes to Largo's origins - Yugoslavia. Being familiar with the area I am pretty sure you don't have gypsy circus troupes anywhere over there, and especially no Polish names. As a matter of fact only thing they got correct is woman name Danica (where c = tz in local languages).
But even with all of the above it is enjoyable story, got me looking for volume 2.
March 6, 2021
Collecting the first two albums. Largo Winch is an orphan, adopted by a billionaire and trained to take over his business empire. But it's in no one else's interests for him to do that, so he has to knife-fight his way to the boardroom. All very 80s, but it's passably entertaining.
October 7, 2018
Duas boas histórias reflectidas num desenho de traço sóbrio e brilhante.
May 9, 2024
Mysterious orphan inherits immense fortune and power from a dead billionaire. If you like globe-trotting adventure and corporate intrigue in equal measure, Largo Winch is for you.
October 29, 2015
Really enjoyed the start of the series,it’s about a young guy inheriting a fortune and the adventures he goes thru in due process.Winch our protagonist is a handsome playboy,resourceful when in pinch and got the devils luck.As the series progress the adventures while enjoyable feels repetitive.
What stands out in the series are the actual use of business strategies and proper explanation given on them,they take into account the actual world economics & events and it’s implication on running of a company.
The art is obviously great being of French-Belgium origin.These guys are the best artist when it comes to color,details & expressions.The locations and people all seem real,it was like watching a series rather than reading one.
This is the third series by Jean Van Hamme that I have picked up,while it’s good, it’s not as good as Thorgal or XIII.
The review is for all the English translated arcs of the series that is 1 to 15.
What stands out in the series are the actual use of business strategies and proper explanation given on them,they take into account the actual world economics & events and it’s implication on running of a company.
The art is obviously great being of French-Belgium origin.These guys are the best artist when it comes to color,details & expressions.The locations and people all seem real,it was like watching a series rather than reading one.
This is the third series by Jean Van Hamme that I have picked up,while it’s good, it’s not as good as Thorgal or XIII.
The review is for all the English translated arcs of the series that is 1 to 15.
July 22, 2013
The story here is classic Bond-ian international intrigue, but it's still pretty well written and Philippe Francq's artwork complements it perfectly. From what I understand, the series doesn't deviate much from a formula, but it worked here and I'm likely to seek out the next installment.
August 14, 2011
It was a nicely thought-out, short story. I enjoyed the striking illustration and the fact that I didn't really need to think much to understand it. Perfect for relaxing after a hard day.
July 16, 2025
Great stuff
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews