Victorian England. In Yorkshire, several men and horses working on a railway line have been killed—slaughtered, really. The police suspect some kind of wild beast. The government calls upon controversial naturalist Charles Darwin to help with the investigation. A reasonable move, but one that is dictated rather by the least known part of his work: research on what other people would qualify as legendary creatures. It won’t be long before the scientist discovers that he may be right about them after all…
This was another one of my gambles. After reading the Orbital series (or at least where it currently is up to) I saw references to this series of 3 books from the same publisher and thought why not.
Well okay I may have done a little more research in to it than that but still it was a leap and one I will admit I really enjoyed.
The story is dark and not for the younger reader but it is an interesting premise - ah the self imposed no spoilers rule is really cramping my style here - but least to say a gristly discovery sets in motion the events that form these three books.
Yes the suffer the same problem as the Orbital series - they are SHORT but when you have all 3 at hand you can read them as they should be - separate instalments in an on going story.
So what do I think - well if you like a twisted and like I say gristly story then this is worth a look. Now on to the second instalment
Primer álbum de una serie muy original, protagonizada por el científico Charles Darwin, que tiene que resolver unos crímenes misteriosos en la campiña inglesa. Es un viaje interesante a un mundo victoriano, lleno de luces y sombras, donde la ciencia naciente lucha por abrirse paso. También incluye estereotipos del terror gótico en un ambiente muy bien recreado. Los dibujos son adecuados y el conjunto me ha resultado muy entretenido.
I bought this short series on a whim. Living in Australia I was looking for Belgian/French comics I read during my childhood in Belgium as over here you can only find that US superhero stuff. I stumbled upon a website importing translated French/Belgian comics. There I found this mini-series, I never heard of but thought “why not”. Now to the series itself, it’s a bit weird, good weird but still. It’s only the first of three episodes so I assume/hope the explanation will come in the next two. I guess I’ll find out soon. I like the dark artwork which suits the horror story well.
Parece interesante por los personajes pero a pesar de meter fantasia veo dibujos algo confusos. Los escenas de la ciudad de noche si que me gustan. El mezclar fantasia con la realidad creo que no gana mucho aqui pues los conflictos de Darwin con la iglesia e instituciones cristianas creo que hubieran dado para muchos temas
A very unique comic, especially in terms of story. It creates more questions than answers (in a good way) and builds up the tension for the next two parts in the series. The art is also very well done, the realism fits the story perfectly.
Charles Darwin, infamous and controversial at his time, is called upon to investigate a mysterious predator that rips of workers around a railway construction site, through a forest..
Darwin Diaries was an interesting read with a unique premise and beautiful but graphic artwork. I appreciated the palette and also really liked that the artwork had a unique and interesting palette of natural browns and reds.
The historical detail on the men's costumes and looks was perfect - very 1850s. Yet I cannot fathom why the women's costumes were all pigeon fronted Gibson Girl frocks from the turn of the century - it was like watching a movie about the 1990s yet the women are wearing pearls, pumps, and poodle skirts from a 1950s sock hop. It really killed all credibility for me and was so disappointing considering the mutton chops, beaver hats, cravats, and suspenders were all so spot on for the male characters - not to mention the detail of the period locales. Either get it all wrong or all right - but not this half and half that is jolting and just looks lazy.
The story is horror and we have some action but it is mostly a tease for further volumes where we discover more about the monster(s) and about Darwin himself. I tend to dislike books that use famous figures as protagonists but I also understand that having Darwin as this type of conflicted character was the point of the story and couldn't be substituted with an ordinary character. At least we weren't bombareded with famous names every other page.
I started with a 5 star rating for the beautiful (if horror graphic) artwork. 1 less star for a huge blunder on historical costuming of the women (yes, I recognize this can almost be classified as AU - but at least keep the decades all the same) and 1 less for being more of a tease on an already thin volume.
Excellent illustrations and a compelling opening to this series.
I must admit I don't read a great many comics but the context of evolution and Darwin's rise to fame drew me in.
Gruesome in places. This murder mystery set among a backdrop of industrialisation, (the rise of the railway) sees Darwin turned detective, by appointment of the Prime Minister.
It's fascinating to see Darwin being forced to re-consider his theory of evolution as the beasts at the heart of the work don't fit into his understanding of the way man has developed.
At 56 pages, this comic is well worth the money. The panels are neatly constructed and as I mentioned at the beginning, the art-work is exquisite. People, animals, interiors, exteriors... all excellently drawn.
Comme il s'agit du premier tome d'une série à venir il est difficile de juger complètement. Ce premier tome est bon mais il s'agit d'une mise en place.
En tout cas, l'atmosphère est bonne et les meutres pas ragoutant du tout.
Je me demande si cela va virer vers le para-normal ou pas.