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Corto Maltese #8
La casa dorata di Samarcanda
"Un vecchio cammina con le spalle incurvate da una gerla carica di albicocche secche. Lo sguardo segue il sentiero di polvere e sassi. Si ferma un istante, alza la testa e fissa il Masis, il 'luogo creato da Dio'. Appoggia il peso sulla terra, fissa il monte come fosse un angelo apparsogli in sogno, abbassa la testa, si fa il segno della croce sul petto e prosegue il cammino. L'Armenia è tutta qui, in quel segno, in quella mesta sottomissione, in quella nostalgica distanza, in quella forzata separazione." (Dalla prefazione di Marco Steiner)
171 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1980
15 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
Hugo Pratt
722 books419 followersHugo Pratt, born Ugo Eugenio Prat (1927–1995), was an Italian comic book writer and artist. Internationally known for Corto Maltese, a series of adventure comics first published in Italy and France between 1967 and 1991, Pratt is regarded as a pioneer of the literary graphic novel.
Born in Rimini, Italy, Pratt spent his childhood in Venice in a cosmopolitan family environment. In 1937, ten-years old Hugo moved with his parents to Ethiopia, East Africa, following the Italian occupation of the country. Pratt's father eventually died as a prisoner of war in 1942. Hugo himself and his mother spent some time in a British prison camp in Africa, before being sent back to Venice. This childhood experiences shaped Pratt's fascination with military uniforms, machineries and settings, a visual constant in most of his adult works.
As a young artist in post-war Italy, Pratt was part of the so-called 'Venice Group', which also included cartoonists Alberto Ongaro, Mario Faustinelli. Their magazine Asso di Picche, launched in 1945, mostly featured adventure comics.
In 1949 Pratt moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he worked for various local publishers and interacted with well-known Argentine cartoonists, most notably Alberto Breccia and Solano López, while also teaching at the Escuela Panamericana de Arte. During this period he produced his first notable comic books: Sgt. Kirk and Ernie Pike, written by Héctor Germán Oesterheld; Anna nella jungla, Capitan Cormorant and Wheeling, as a complete author.
From the summer of 1959 to the summer of 1960, Pratt lived in London drawing war comics by British scriptwriters for Fleetway Publications. He returned to Argentina for a couple more years, then moved back to Italy in 1962. Here he started collaborating with the comics magazine Il Corriere dei Piccoli, for which he adapted several classics, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson.
In 1967, Hugo Pratt and entrepreneur Florenzo Ivaldi created the comics magazine Il Sergente Kirk, named after one of Pratt's original characters. Pratt's most famous work, Una ballata del mare salato (1967, The Ballad of the Salty Sea) was serialised in the pages of this magazine. The story can be seen as one of the first modern graphic novels. It also introduced Pratt's best known character, mariner and adventurer Corto Maltese. Corto became the protagonist of its own series three years later in the French comics magazine Pif gadget. Pratt would continue releasing new Corto Maltese books every few years until 1991. Corto's stories are set in various parts of the world, in a given moment in the first three decades of the 20th century. They often tangently deal with real historical events or real historical figures. The series gave Pratt international notoriety, being eventually translated into fifteen languages.
Pratt's other works include Gli scorpioni del deserto (1969-1992), a series of military adventures set in East Africa during WWII, and a few one-shots published for Bonelli's comic magazine Un Uomo Un'Avventura ('One Man One Adventure'), most notably the short story Jesuit Joe (1980, The Man from the Great North). He also scripted a couple of stories for his pupil Milo Manara.
Pratt lived in France from 1970 to 1984, then in Switzerland till his death from bowel cancer in 1995.
Born in Rimini, Italy, Pratt spent his childhood in Venice in a cosmopolitan family environment. In 1937, ten-years old Hugo moved with his parents to Ethiopia, East Africa, following the Italian occupation of the country. Pratt's father eventually died as a prisoner of war in 1942. Hugo himself and his mother spent some time in a British prison camp in Africa, before being sent back to Venice. This childhood experiences shaped Pratt's fascination with military uniforms, machineries and settings, a visual constant in most of his adult works.
As a young artist in post-war Italy, Pratt was part of the so-called 'Venice Group', which also included cartoonists Alberto Ongaro, Mario Faustinelli. Their magazine Asso di Picche, launched in 1945, mostly featured adventure comics.
In 1949 Pratt moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he worked for various local publishers and interacted with well-known Argentine cartoonists, most notably Alberto Breccia and Solano López, while also teaching at the Escuela Panamericana de Arte. During this period he produced his first notable comic books: Sgt. Kirk and Ernie Pike, written by Héctor Germán Oesterheld; Anna nella jungla, Capitan Cormorant and Wheeling, as a complete author.
From the summer of 1959 to the summer of 1960, Pratt lived in London drawing war comics by British scriptwriters for Fleetway Publications. He returned to Argentina for a couple more years, then moved back to Italy in 1962. Here he started collaborating with the comics magazine Il Corriere dei Piccoli, for which he adapted several classics, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson.
In 1967, Hugo Pratt and entrepreneur Florenzo Ivaldi created the comics magazine Il Sergente Kirk, named after one of Pratt's original characters. Pratt's most famous work, Una ballata del mare salato (1967, The Ballad of the Salty Sea) was serialised in the pages of this magazine. The story can be seen as one of the first modern graphic novels. It also introduced Pratt's best known character, mariner and adventurer Corto Maltese. Corto became the protagonist of its own series three years later in the French comics magazine Pif gadget. Pratt would continue releasing new Corto Maltese books every few years until 1991. Corto's stories are set in various parts of the world, in a given moment in the first three decades of the 20th century. They often tangently deal with real historical events or real historical figures. The series gave Pratt international notoriety, being eventually translated into fifteen languages.
Pratt's other works include Gli scorpioni del deserto (1969-1992), a series of military adventures set in East Africa during WWII, and a few one-shots published for Bonelli's comic magazine Un Uomo Un'Avventura ('One Man One Adventure'), most notably the short story Jesuit Joe (1980, The Man from the Great North). He also scripted a couple of stories for his pupil Milo Manara.
Pratt lived in France from 1970 to 1984, then in Switzerland till his death from bowel cancer in 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
January 23, 2025
Our romp through the late-colonial world takes us along the Silk Road in the footsteps of Marco Polo, in search of Alexander the Great’s treasure. The social-political fresco against which this episode unfurls is the crossfire of rival nationalisms following the crumbling of the Ottoman Empire. First, there are the Turks and Pan-Turanians, the latter represented by the war minister Enver Pasha, dreaming of a Pan-Turanian Islamic federation in Central Asia; then there are the Kurdish people attempting autonomy; and also there are the last pockets of resistance of the Armenian Christians, already victims of genocide. Pratt’s encyclopedic knowledge and empathy charms me to no end. Taken together, these comics give color to the life of a quarter century. This episode bites off a bit more than I could comfortably chew, though, and suffers from its lack of chapters. I was spurred on mainly by my aching crush on the protagonist. I think the shorter, episodic sea adventures are Pratt at his best.
(Pratt had quite an eventful life. He grew up in Venice. His ancestry included an English grandfather on his paternal side and Turks and Jews on the other. As a child, he moved with his mother to Abyssinia (as Ethiopia was known in the West until recent times), joining his soldier father with Mussolini’s conquering army—who was captured by British troops during World War II and died a prisoner of war. Pratt and his mother were interned themselves in a prison camp, where he would buy comics from guards. After the war, he lived in Argentina, London, Paris, Italy, Switzerland, and Brussels… Art imitates life?)
(Pratt had quite an eventful life. He grew up in Venice. His ancestry included an English grandfather on his paternal side and Turks and Jews on the other. As a child, he moved with his mother to Abyssinia (as Ethiopia was known in the West until recent times), joining his soldier father with Mussolini’s conquering army—who was captured by British troops during World War II and died a prisoner of war. Pratt and his mother were interned themselves in a prison camp, where he would buy comics from guards. After the war, he lived in Argentina, London, Paris, Italy, Switzerland, and Brussels… Art imitates life?)
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July 15, 2020Zlatna kuća Samarkanda je Korto u zreloj fazi, taman pre nego što je došlo do onog pada pred kraj u malčice samozaljubljenu stilizaciju. Ovde je sve raskošno i vizuelno i tematski, Korto i dalje traga za blagom na najčudnijim mestima i sreće još čudnije ljude, a Raspućin je jednako lud i posle ovoliko godina onako teška srca moram da priznam da ga čovek nekako... pa ne zavoli, Raspućin je zao kao zla para i lud do daske i psihopata i sadista... ali je nekako naivno iskren u svom zlu i često jezivo smešan, kao neki odrasli Kalvin, pa zadobije našu blagonaklonost i čak nas često zasmeje? Recimo?
Prat je u ovoj poznoj fazi već mogao sebi da priušti i digresije i poigravanje s likovima i humor na vlastiti račun i da kameo-pojavljivanje istorijskih ličnosti dotera do same granice parodije (telefonski razgovor sa Staljinom!), ali motiv dvojnika i senke obradio je smrtno ozbiljno i uz taman pravu dozu natprirodnog užasa.
I dalje, i zauvek: Korto uvek malo dalje.
Prat je u ovoj poznoj fazi već mogao sebi da priušti i digresije i poigravanje s likovima i humor na vlastiti račun i da kameo-pojavljivanje istorijskih ličnosti dotera do same granice parodije (telefonski razgovor sa Staljinom!), ali motiv dvojnika i senke obradio je smrtno ozbiljno i uz taman pravu dozu natprirodnog užasa.
I dalje, i zauvek: Korto uvek malo dalje.
May 11, 2025
This is one of the longer more epic Maltese narratives with a treasure hunt that takes him from Rhodes into Central Asia. As always, a virtuoso performance by Hugo Pratt.
June 9, 2018
Le storie di Corto Maltese sono sempre intricate, inconcludenti e rarefatte, piene di personaggi sofisticatissimi con alle spalle ognuno una propria triste vicenda, radicate in contorti contesti storici ignoti ai più; storie in cui il non detto, l'implicito e il sussurrato sembrano sovrastare le non poche scene d'azione e spesso ci si ritrova a domandarsi se ciò che è narrato sia sogno o realtà e quale sia la sua autentica ragion d'essere. Ogni avventura è un viaggio iniziatico, leggendario, onirico, filosofico, mortifero, sempre uguale e sempre diverso, cui fa da contrappunto un tratto grafico che ha fatto scuola, potente e perfetto.
Sarà per tutti questi motivi che mi piacciono così tanto questi albi, oppure per l'eterno fascino dell'eroe galantuomo, già cavaliere solitario del selvaggio West, moschettiere del re di Francia, avversario di mulini a vento spagnoli e prima ancora cavaliere errante dell'incantato Medioevo, qui declinato sotto forma di pirata spavaldo, cinico e idealista; può darsi, non so, e forse è meglio così, meglio non sapere, lasciamo il mistero al mistero.
Sarà per tutti questi motivi che mi piacciono così tanto questi albi, oppure per l'eterno fascino dell'eroe galantuomo, già cavaliere solitario del selvaggio West, moschettiere del re di Francia, avversario di mulini a vento spagnoli e prima ancora cavaliere errante dell'incantato Medioevo, qui declinato sotto forma di pirata spavaldo, cinico e idealista; può darsi, non so, e forse è meglio così, meglio non sapere, lasciamo il mistero al mistero.
March 31, 2018
The seventh release in the series from the translation team of Dean Mullaney and Simone Castaldi, this is (in all ways) a monster of a book.
Like all of the translations so far, it's large-format and printed on beautiful heavy paper and at 144 pages, it has some real heft - don't expect to be reading this on a morning commute, but rather in your most comfortable and cosy reading nook!
The story is a monster too. Hugo Pratt takes us on a journey from the Mediterranean through the 'stans, searching for Alexander's fabled treasure against a backdrop of Turkey's fight to identify itself as a nation, with constant factional fighting and a backdrop of Russian and British interference.
Old friends (Rasputin, of course, but also Venexiana) re-appear and some new acquaintances make an impression on Corto as we discover his double, meet an actress who has more in her than first appears, and find out that Joe Stalin is one of Corto's supporters.
As usual with one of the Corto books, this will merit re-reading as the filmic/storyboard style with the tight panels can mean a tiny detail missed will only add confusion later.
The only criticism I have of the storytelling is that the level of factional knowledge and the shifting sands alliances and enmities create a level of uncertainty that's just too unpredictable. Many characters arrive as friends and leave as enemies and vice-versa for very little reason.
As I'm writing this tho' I'm already thinking of the re-read, so that tells you something!
One last thing. While this is a standalone adventure, there's little exposition or explanation of Corto's character, and if you're unfamiliar with him, I'd have to recommend that you read the other Corto books (start with the Ballad of the Salt sea) to position him before tackling this one.
Actually, you should read all the Corto books - he's an adventurer that Hugo Pratt has documented and storied so well!
Like all of the translations so far, it's large-format and printed on beautiful heavy paper and at 144 pages, it has some real heft - don't expect to be reading this on a morning commute, but rather in your most comfortable and cosy reading nook!
The story is a monster too. Hugo Pratt takes us on a journey from the Mediterranean through the 'stans, searching for Alexander's fabled treasure against a backdrop of Turkey's fight to identify itself as a nation, with constant factional fighting and a backdrop of Russian and British interference.
Old friends (Rasputin, of course, but also Venexiana) re-appear and some new acquaintances make an impression on Corto as we discover his double, meet an actress who has more in her than first appears, and find out that Joe Stalin is one of Corto's supporters.
As usual with one of the Corto books, this will merit re-reading as the filmic/storyboard style with the tight panels can mean a tiny detail missed will only add confusion later.
The only criticism I have of the storytelling is that the level of factional knowledge and the shifting sands alliances and enmities create a level of uncertainty that's just too unpredictable. Many characters arrive as friends and leave as enemies and vice-versa for very little reason.
As I'm writing this tho' I'm already thinking of the re-read, so that tells you something!
One last thing. While this is a standalone adventure, there's little exposition or explanation of Corto's character, and if you're unfamiliar with him, I'd have to recommend that you read the other Corto books (start with the Ballad of the Salt sea) to position him before tackling this one.
Actually, you should read all the Corto books - he's an adventurer that Hugo Pratt has documented and storied so well!
November 15, 2020
Ancora una volta Hugo Pratt ci regala una meravigliosa avventura del marinaio più famoso della letteratura (disegnata o meno che sia). In un viaggio che parte da Rodi e finisce nelle terre che furono dei Persiani e dei
Tartari, Corto è coinvolto contemporaneamente nella ricerca del tesoro di re Ciro il Grande e nel raggiungere e liberare Rasputin, rinchiuso nella prigione che dà il nome all'albo per chissà quale sbaglio. Il nostro marinaio sarà accompagnato da amici/nemici vecchi e nuovi e da oppositori più o meno fastidiosi...ma chi davvero incrocerà la sua traiettoria in maniera
indelebile sarà il suo doppio, Timur Chevket, generale dei turchi insorti al servizio di Enver Pascià. Ciascuno dei due è convitato di pietra per l'altro lungo tutto il fumetto, in un fantastico gioco di presenze-assenze. E proprio queste sono accentuate da Pratt nel suo continuo gioco con il mondo onirico, in cui spesso e
volentieri catapulta i suoi personaggi, unendo il tutto al più ruvido pragmatismo e a un'ironia tagliente e trasversale, che non risparmia neppure il sogno di riunire tutti i turchi di Enver Pascià. Storie di viaggi, di tesori, di sogni, dipinte spesso anche in modo picaresco; tutto ciò eleva Corto Maltese al livello di qualsiasi romanzo d'avventura che si rispetti, dimostrando per l'ennesima volta come la "letteratura disegnata" non sia solo un mero divertissement anche per il lettore più colto.
Tartari, Corto è coinvolto contemporaneamente nella ricerca del tesoro di re Ciro il Grande e nel raggiungere e liberare Rasputin, rinchiuso nella prigione che dà il nome all'albo per chissà quale sbaglio. Il nostro marinaio sarà accompagnato da amici/nemici vecchi e nuovi e da oppositori più o meno fastidiosi...ma chi davvero incrocerà la sua traiettoria in maniera
indelebile sarà il suo doppio, Timur Chevket, generale dei turchi insorti al servizio di Enver Pascià. Ciascuno dei due è convitato di pietra per l'altro lungo tutto il fumetto, in un fantastico gioco di presenze-assenze. E proprio queste sono accentuate da Pratt nel suo continuo gioco con il mondo onirico, in cui spesso e
volentieri catapulta i suoi personaggi, unendo il tutto al più ruvido pragmatismo e a un'ironia tagliente e trasversale, che non risparmia neppure il sogno di riunire tutti i turchi di Enver Pascià. Storie di viaggi, di tesori, di sogni, dipinte spesso anche in modo picaresco; tutto ciò eleva Corto Maltese al livello di qualsiasi romanzo d'avventura che si rispetti, dimostrando per l'ennesima volta come la "letteratura disegnata" non sia solo un mero divertissement anche per il lettore più colto.
June 14, 2017
Corto'nun bu macerası çoğunlukla Türkiye coğrafyasında geçtiğini belirtmekte fayda var.
Rodos, Adana, Tarsus, Van rotasını izleyen Corto, bu sırada İttihatçılarla ve Enver Paşa'yla da karşılaşır.
Bu anlamda Türk okuyucu açısından detaylı bir incelemeyi hak etmekte bu çizgi roman.
Bu çizgi-romandaki Türk izlerini süren bir makaleye aşağıdaki adresten ulaşabilirsiniz;
http://dergipark.gov.tr/download/arti...
Makalede belirtildiği üzere, Türk çizer Suat Yalaz'ın da Enver Paşa Efsanesi adında bir çizgi-romanı var. İlgilisinin bilmesinde fayda var.
Rodos, Adana, Tarsus, Van rotasını izleyen Corto, bu sırada İttihatçılarla ve Enver Paşa'yla da karşılaşır.
Bu anlamda Türk okuyucu açısından detaylı bir incelemeyi hak etmekte bu çizgi roman.
Bu çizgi-romandaki Türk izlerini süren bir makaleye aşağıdaki adresten ulaşabilirsiniz;
http://dergipark.gov.tr/download/arti...
Makalede belirtildiği üzere, Türk çizer Suat Yalaz'ın da Enver Paşa Efsanesi adında bir çizgi-romanı var. İlgilisinin bilmesinde fayda var.
February 11, 2024
Corto Maltese on niitä nimiä, joita olen kuulut useasti aiemmin, mutta en ole varsinaisesti tutustunut. Tämä on siis periaatteessa täysin uusi tuttavuus. Mitään ennakko-odotuksia ei ollut. Tiesin vain, että Corto Maltese on seikkailija ja oikeastaan siihen kaikki tieto sitten päättyikin 😅
Kirjan kuvitus on jännä yhdistelmä elokuvamaisia kohtauksia vahvoilla ääriviivoilla. Ajoittain ollaan realismin ja ajoittain karikatyyrin puolella. Mustavalkokuvat ovat vain ajoittain hieman sekavia tai suttuisia, jolloin esim. sivuhahmoja on vaikea erottaa toisistaan. Toisinaan taas kuvitus on hienoa ja todella tarkkaa.
Itse tarina lähtee liikkeelle 1920-luvun alun Rodokselta ja varsinainen juoni on aarteenmetsästystä. Itään päin mentäessä poliittinen kuohunta ja erinäiset toisiaan vastaan taistelevat ryhmittymät sekoittavat pakkaa. Tässä kohden alkoi tämäkin lukija olemaan aika sekaisin. Tapahtumia oli todella paljon ja uusia hahmoja tuli ja meni sellaisella tahdilla, että usein kadotin koko tarinan ajatuksen. Heräsi kysymys siitä, että olisiko pitänyt lukea joitakin aikaisempia albumeja, jotta pysyisin paremmin juonessa mukana? Nyt jäi aika ristiriitainen olo tämän lukemisen jälkeen enkä ehkä ihan vähään aikaan tartu toiseen Corto Maltese-kirjaan. Ehkä...
Kirjan kuvitus on jännä yhdistelmä elokuvamaisia kohtauksia vahvoilla ääriviivoilla. Ajoittain ollaan realismin ja ajoittain karikatyyrin puolella. Mustavalkokuvat ovat vain ajoittain hieman sekavia tai suttuisia, jolloin esim. sivuhahmoja on vaikea erottaa toisistaan. Toisinaan taas kuvitus on hienoa ja todella tarkkaa.
Itse tarina lähtee liikkeelle 1920-luvun alun Rodokselta ja varsinainen juoni on aarteenmetsästystä. Itään päin mentäessä poliittinen kuohunta ja erinäiset toisiaan vastaan taistelevat ryhmittymät sekoittavat pakkaa. Tässä kohden alkoi tämäkin lukija olemaan aika sekaisin. Tapahtumia oli todella paljon ja uusia hahmoja tuli ja meni sellaisella tahdilla, että usein kadotin koko tarinan ajatuksen. Heräsi kysymys siitä, että olisiko pitänyt lukea joitakin aikaisempia albumeja, jotta pysyisin paremmin juonessa mukana? Nyt jäi aika ristiriitainen olo tämän lukemisen jälkeen enkä ehkä ihan vähään aikaan tartu toiseen Corto Maltese-kirjaan. Ehkä...
June 25, 2018
Leggere Corto Maltese è sempre un tuffo nella storia, in un mondo che non conosce buoni o cattivi ma solo opportunisti e pochi che conoscono il valore della parola e dell'amicizia. Corto e il suo doppio, Corto e Rasputin, tutti si inseguono in una storia che non ha nulla di scontato. Molto complesso, molto incrociato, bellissimo.
January 25, 2020
Ovaj deo mi je bio dosta konfuzan i čak nekako razvučen. Mnogo se skakalo s mesta na mesta, a mnoštvo likova se pojavljivalo bez ikakve najave, potpuno neočekivano.
May 8, 2021
Es un comic que me parece que ha envejecido muhco. Es muy monotono con su estructura de viñetas del siglo XX, una historia que se alarga demasiado con poca accion y mucha conversacion pero que no te mantiene atrapado. La verdad es que 3 estrellas me parece incluso en algunos aspectos generoso
June 15, 2018
Another great Corto Maltese adventure that recalls Joseph Conrad and C.S. Forester -- if their heroes were a little less uptight. Wonderful historical adventure tale with a cast of remarkable characters, including that reliable old stand-by, Rasputin.
September 1, 2025
<< Corto Maltese non colpirebbe mai un uomo che non può difendersi e non sarebbe venuto fin quaggiù se non fosse stato spinto da qualche cosa che si chiama amicizia… quello è così nobile da rasentare la stupidità. Non è un figlio di puttana come noi… no! >>
September 26, 2020
Quite nice. Recommended.
October 31, 2022
Zio Raspa, ti voglio così bene
June 20, 2022
Corto Maltés viaja por territorio de choque turco-bolchevique (principalmente, porque también hay otros ejércitos) para ir a rescatar a su viejo amigo, el pirata Rasputín, preso en una tétrica fortaleza.
La dinámica entre estos dos colegas siempre me entretiene, y en esta ocasión su vínculo fue profundizado como nunca antes, al punto que (diría yo) rozaba el bromance tóxico. ¡Qué intenso! Me encantó.
Antes de leer este increíble viaje lleno de emociones, conviene estar al tanto de quién fue el oficial Enver Pachá y cual fue su última guerra; información provista en el prólogo de esta edición, y si no, también se consigue en una googleadita rápida. Sin conocimiento básico de eso, seguir la trama puede ser difícil.
La dinámica entre estos dos colegas siempre me entretiene, y en esta ocasión su vínculo fue profundizado como nunca antes, al punto que (diría yo) rozaba el bromance tóxico. ¡Qué intenso! Me encantó.
Antes de leer este increíble viaje lleno de emociones, conviene estar al tanto de quién fue el oficial Enver Pachá y cual fue su última guerra; información provista en el prólogo de esta edición, y si no, también se consigue en una googleadita rápida. Sin conocimiento básico de eso, seguir la trama puede ser difícil.
August 25, 2023
Armenian genocide, a never discussed event mentioned in a comics strip, hats off to Hugo. Central Asia, again a little known place but the historic picture was well painted. Overall I loved the story, it was Corto Maltese carefree, roaming about the world from Venice to Afghanistan, it was a fantastic web of tale. I felt the pain of that Yazidi old man Zorah, being killed in cold blood. However many people had been killed in cold blood in the story.
Extra attractions:
Timur Chevket: Corto Maltese's look-alike
Corto and Joseph Stalin being friends is some news.
Venexiana Stevenson got pregnant and was much more docile than her previous encounters with Corto.
And off course the ever mad Rasputin.
At the End I felt too many characters creates a sense of losing the grip on the story.
Extra attractions:
Timur Chevket: Corto Maltese's look-alike
Corto and Joseph Stalin being friends is some news.
Venexiana Stevenson got pregnant and was much more docile than her previous encounters with Corto.
And off course the ever mad Rasputin.
At the End I felt too many characters creates a sense of losing the grip on the story.
April 7, 2018
I describe Hugo Pratt's Corto Maltese stories as thoughtful, introspective historical adventures stories, like Indiana Jones for people who went to college. There's plenty of action and suspense, but also a great deal of discussion and philosophy, as well as well-researched portraits of the politics and history of the period. This story is no different, but is probably the longest of the stories IDW has translated to date. It's a dense, involving read about a search for treasure, Turkish politics post WWI, and existential philosophy as Italian sailor Corto Maltese meets his doppelgänger. This is a fantastic installment in a gripping series that just gets better and better.
August 13, 2018
In this tale, Corto travels through the eastern Mediterranean and into the various "stans" of the 1920s, all in search of a hidden treasure. Along the way, he encounters beautiful Greeks, Turkish soldiers, rebels, secret society members, and his old pal Rasputin. Hugo Pratt also manages to work in Josef Stalin in an off-screen cameo.
Great adventure comics, as always, and a nice new edition by IDW.
Great adventure comics, as always, and a nice new edition by IDW.
May 3, 2020
Zdecydowanie czołówka serii. Komiks, który sięga poziomu "Na Syberii', "Bajki weneckiej" czy "Opowieści słonych wód". Mieszanka wszystkiego za co można się w tym cyklu zakochać. Przygoda, nostalgia, historyczne tło, humor, oniryzm przenikający się z realizmem i oczywiście postać Corto. Jest dosyć skomplikowana i wymagająca skupienia fabuła oraz sporo Rasputina, co zawsze robi tym opowieściom dobrze. Klasyk, który nadal zachwyca
August 13, 2019
Corto Maltese goes on another quest for lost treasure in the crumbling Ottoman Empire and he has to contend with his Turkish doppelgänger, Rasputin, rival thespians, and Venexiana Stevenson. As always Hugo Pratt delivers an exciting tale with awesome art.
June 28, 2016
Regressar a Corto Maltese é reencontrar um mundo de grandes histórias e personagens inesquecíveis. A memória não me enganava: esta é uma das suas melhores e mais marcantes aventuras.
May 13, 2018
Epic!
This is the finest Corto Maltese adventure so far, of the nine that I own, and the fourth of the new translations.
This is the finest Corto Maltese adventure so far, of the nine that I own, and the fourth of the new translations.
April 19, 2019
The further East he travels, the less enjoyable the stories become.
April 29, 2020
Kiedy Corto Maltese był dzieckiem, przyjaciel jego matki, pięknej Cyganki i czarownicy, chciał powróżyć mu z ręki. Z przerażeniem zdał sobie jednak sprawę, że chłopiec nie ma linii przeznaczenia. Corto rozwiązał tę sprawę w typowy dla siebie sposób. Wyciął sobie brakującą linię nożem ojca, wiecznie nieobecnego angielskiego żeglarza.(“Corto Maltese. Złoty dom w Samarkandzie, t. 8.”, Hugo Pratt).
Wkrótce, wzorem rodziciela, wyruszył w nigdy nie kończącą się podróż (w komiksach Pratt zdaje relację z okresu obejmującego lata 1904-1925), której trasa wiodła m. in. przez Chiny, Japonię, wyspy Pacyfiku, Karaiby, Irlandię, Wenecję, Afrykę, trochę bliższy i daleki Wschód. Na trasie spotkał mnóstwo znanych postaci (m. in. Jacka Londona, „Czerwonego Barona”, Hermana Hesse’ego i Envera Paszę – a to tylko początek długiej listy), niemożliwe miłości (nie ma szczęścia do kobiet), nieoczywistych przyjaciół, skarby do odkrycia i przegrane sprawy, do których ma słabość.
Przy pierwszym spotkaniu Corto Maltese, amant ze skazą, za którym podąża sława pirata i samozwańczego kapitana, wydaje się cynikiem, nieustannie ironizującym i nastawionym tylko na zysk, ale to pozory.
CZYTAJ WIĘCEJ:
https://www.kanonkomiksu.net.pl/corto...
Wkrótce, wzorem rodziciela, wyruszył w nigdy nie kończącą się podróż (w komiksach Pratt zdaje relację z okresu obejmującego lata 1904-1925), której trasa wiodła m. in. przez Chiny, Japonię, wyspy Pacyfiku, Karaiby, Irlandię, Wenecję, Afrykę, trochę bliższy i daleki Wschód. Na trasie spotkał mnóstwo znanych postaci (m. in. Jacka Londona, „Czerwonego Barona”, Hermana Hesse’ego i Envera Paszę – a to tylko początek długiej listy), niemożliwe miłości (nie ma szczęścia do kobiet), nieoczywistych przyjaciół, skarby do odkrycia i przegrane sprawy, do których ma słabość.
Przy pierwszym spotkaniu Corto Maltese, amant ze skazą, za którym podąża sława pirata i samozwańczego kapitana, wydaje się cynikiem, nieustannie ironizującym i nastawionym tylko na zysk, ale to pozory.
CZYTAJ WIĘCEJ:
https://www.kanonkomiksu.net.pl/corto...
November 21, 2022
Pienso que el tamaño de la obra no favorece a la obra, no por lo ambiciosa, sino por el ritmo de ella. La historia va con un ritmo muy agradable hasta su acto final, donde si bien encuentro un satisfactorio final, todo el meta-relato que se hace antes, se pierde. De todas maneras, existen alguno que otros juegos entre Rasputín y Corto sobre estos viajes oníricos, pero no con la misma fuerza.
A su vez, es importante entender el contexto histórico de ella, dado que sin los antecedentes del conflicto armenio es más difícil el hilo conductor, en especial por las situaciones de los personajes reales. Por supuesto, en las historias de Hugo Pratt es la tónica, por lo que se recomienda encarecidamente saber un poco del contexto, porque si no, se vuelve una historia de aventuras un tanto larga y tediosa en ciertos momentos.
Un gran relato, donde sinceramente me encanta su final, porque si bien Rasputín piensa haber visto el tesoro, nos dejarán con la duda si fue una alucinación o es parte de la magia y el misterio de esta aventura.
A su vez, es importante entender el contexto histórico de ella, dado que sin los antecedentes del conflicto armenio es más difícil el hilo conductor, en especial por las situaciones de los personajes reales. Por supuesto, en las historias de Hugo Pratt es la tónica, por lo que se recomienda encarecidamente saber un poco del contexto, porque si no, se vuelve una historia de aventuras un tanto larga y tediosa en ciertos momentos.
Un gran relato, donde sinceramente me encanta su final, porque si bien Rasputín piensa haber visto el tesoro, nos dejarán con la duda si fue una alucinación o es parte de la magia y el misterio de esta aventura.
May 30, 2019
Serinin dokuzuncu kitabı olmasına rağmen benim okuduğum ikinci Corto Maltese kitabı oldu. Semerkant'taki Altın Yaldızlı Ev'i bu kadar öne çekmemin sebebi olayların çoğunun Türkiye'de geçiyor olması oldu. Milli mücadele yıllarında geçen serinin bu sayısında Corto Maltese'e tarihi bir figür olarak Enver Paşa da eşlik ediyor. Rodos'ta başlayan macera Adana ve Van'da devam edip Semerkant'ta nihayete eriyor.
Türk, Yunan, Kürt, Ermeni, Yezidi, Acem gibi doğu toplumlarının kültürel motifleriyle bezenmiş olması kitapla kurduğum aidiyeti çok güçlendirdi. Hugo Pratt'ın bu kültürleri bazıları tarihten doğrudan alınmış bazıları da kurgusal karakterleriyle eserinde harmanlayışının yalap şalap değil, tarihsel bir derinlikle esere taşıması bana çok keyif verdi.
Türk, Yunan, Kürt, Ermeni, Yezidi, Acem gibi doğu toplumlarının kültürel motifleriyle bezenmiş olması kitapla kurduğum aidiyeti çok güçlendirdi. Hugo Pratt'ın bu kültürleri bazıları tarihten doğrudan alınmış bazıları da kurgusal karakterleriyle eserinde harmanlayışının yalap şalap değil, tarihsel bir derinlikle esere taşıması bana çok keyif verdi.
October 29, 2020
Wow! Treatise on love and friendship or should I say friendship and love. It has to include war, of course, but the part that Pratt was more interested in is the one with multiple parties and no winners. And it has to include the devil, of course, commenting on satisfaction. And there is the theater, bigger than life even in war circumstances, actors playing out without distinction where does the play end. Only Pratt can spend so much time on such an episode like two actors performing for enemy soldiers somewhere behind the frontline. And there are old acquintances and new and even a child. Could it be Corto's? The answer is clear and short No. And in the end there is the treasure. For the second.
Extraordinary chapter in Corto's saga and another win for IDW.
Extraordinary chapter in Corto's saga and another win for IDW.
October 20, 2019
Corto Maltese krydser igennem krigszoner mellem Tyrkiet, Armenien osv. på vej mod det gyldne hus i Samarkand - et fængsel man kun undslipper vha. opium. Som altid er undskyldningen en jagt efter guld og som altid ender han med at redde sine venner og undervejs samle et blandet selskab af karakterer op undervejs.
Faraos Cigarers luksusudgave er denne gang udstyret med et større katalog over de forskellige hæres uniformer, våbenskjold mv. Det virker mest som fyld, hvis man ikke har en historisk militærfetish.
Faraos Cigarers luksusudgave er denne gang udstyret med et større katalog over de forskellige hæres uniformer, våbenskjold mv. Det virker mest som fyld, hvis man ikke har en historisk militærfetish.
November 8, 2024
(PT) Em 1921, Corto Maltese embrenha-se numa Turquia em plena revolução, onde decide partir para Samarcanda. O objetivo? Um tesouro, alegadamente pertencente aos persas, que poderá estar nas montanhas à volta de Samarcanda. Mas também vai noutro objetivo: libertar o seu amigo Rasputine, capturado pelos turcos de Enver Pacha, que combate os bolcheviques para tentar criar um império do Turquestão, na Ásia Central. E até chegar lá, terá muitas aventuras, incluindo... um sósia.
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