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Donjon Zénith #5-6
Dungeon: Zenith - Vol. 3: Back in Style
Taking a pause from the Monstres sub-series, the main Zenith mini series is back! This time with the art of Boulet but still written by the Sfar/Trondheim duo. Two stories continue the heyday of Dungeon, in the first, Isis is to be married to the Keeper but she wants Herbert! Besides, the whole affair promises to ruin the Dungeon completely. In the second, besides the continued Keeper financial mishaps, Herbert wishes to make his comeback to his hometown where his name is mud. He disguises himself with a potion that makes him the mask of death . Only one problem: if he laughs, he becomes himself again!
96 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2009
1 person is currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Joann Sfar
485 books508 followersJoann Sfar (born August 28, 1971 in Nice) is a French comics artist, comic book creator, and film director.
Sfar is considered one of the most important artists of the new wave of Franco-Belgian comics. Many of his comics were published by L'Association which was founded in 1990 by Jean-Christophe Menu and six other artists. He also worked together with many of the new movement's main artists, e.g. David B. and Lewis Trondheim. The Donjon series which he created with Trondheim has a cult following in many countries.
Some of his comics are inspired by his Jewish heritage as the son of Jewish parents (an Ashkenazi mother and a Sephardic father). He himself says that there is Ashkenazi humor in his Professeur Bell series (loosely based on Joseph Bell), whereas Le chat du rabbin is clearly inspired by his Sephardic side. Les olives noires is a series about a Jewish child in Israel at the time of Jesus. Like Le chat du rabbin, the series contains a lot of historical and theological information.
His main influences are Fred and André Franquin as well as Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine, Will Eisner, Hugo Pratt and John Buscema.
From 2009 to 2010, Sfar wrote and directed 'Serge Gainsbourgh: Une Vie Heroique', a biopic of the notorious French songwriter, of whom Sfar is a self-confessed fanatic. The film, which draws substantially on Sfar's abilities as a comic book artist through its extensive use of fantasy artwork, animation and puppetry, was released in 2010 to general critical acclaim.
Sfar is considered one of the most important artists of the new wave of Franco-Belgian comics. Many of his comics were published by L'Association which was founded in 1990 by Jean-Christophe Menu and six other artists. He also worked together with many of the new movement's main artists, e.g. David B. and Lewis Trondheim. The Donjon series which he created with Trondheim has a cult following in many countries.
Some of his comics are inspired by his Jewish heritage as the son of Jewish parents (an Ashkenazi mother and a Sephardic father). He himself says that there is Ashkenazi humor in his Professeur Bell series (loosely based on Joseph Bell), whereas Le chat du rabbin is clearly inspired by his Sephardic side. Les olives noires is a series about a Jewish child in Israel at the time of Jesus. Like Le chat du rabbin, the series contains a lot of historical and theological information.
His main influences are Fred and André Franquin as well as Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine, Will Eisner, Hugo Pratt and John Buscema.
From 2009 to 2010, Sfar wrote and directed 'Serge Gainsbourgh: Une Vie Heroique', a biopic of the notorious French songwriter, of whom Sfar is a self-confessed fanatic. The film, which draws substantially on Sfar's abilities as a comic book artist through its extensive use of fantasy artwork, animation and puppetry, was released in 2010 to general critical acclaim.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 8, 2020
This one gets at least a half-star extra for an even more involving and thrilling storyline. I think it had something to do with its rather comedic and parodic origins, adding more tension with the possibility that it might all end up as just a cruel joke in the end.
Better art, too.
Better art, too.
December 4, 2021
Art just went through a gigantic glow up. And the writing keeps getting better with each entry. Honestly, yeah, I can see the love for this series. It's terrific. Only thing bad about it is the fact that it ends on a cliffhanger, but it's still pretty much worth a read!
January 25, 2022
(4,3 for Zenith 3 - Herbert goes home)
Now is the Dungeon in a serious pickle, the marriage business spirals into doom. Things escalated, Herbert needs to visit his hometown realising he got only more problems by that. I'm a bit disappointed that it ends in a bit cliffhanger, not having Zenith 4 or 5 on hand to look how it will go.
Now is the Dungeon in a serious pickle, the marriage business spirals into doom. Things escalated, Herbert needs to visit his hometown realising he got only more problems by that. I'm a bit disappointed that it ends in a bit cliffhanger, not having Zenith 4 or 5 on hand to look how it will go.
November 4, 2012
Aw man, Dungeon! I've missed this series! I grabbed these on whim at the library and got lucky -- there are like four or five separate series of this comic, and vol. 2 of "Zenith" just happened to start with the final pamphlet I'd read back in the day.
Reading this again reminded me of how casually brutal it can be in between the slapstick, frequently killing off characters when there's no particular reason to. But then I remembered that the whole comedic basis of the series is that they run a business that massacres people, and that brought me back down to earth.
The addition of Boulet to the team was surprising and worked very well. I can't decide whether he's a superior cartoonist to Trondheim? I also can't decide whether my reaction to the story would have been different originally if he'd been drawing it from the start -- Trondheim's style is very isometric and zoomed-out and almost sprite-like, in a way that isn't like much else you see these days and which played well with the idea of a story about the shitty people who run an honest-to-god roguelike dungeon. Boulet gets much more up-close and personal with everyone, and it's a very different feel.
Reading this again reminded me of how casually brutal it can be in between the slapstick, frequently killing off characters when there's no particular reason to. But then I remembered that the whole comedic basis of the series is that they run a business that massacres people, and that brought me back down to earth.
The addition of Boulet to the team was surprising and worked very well. I can't decide whether he's a superior cartoonist to Trondheim? I also can't decide whether my reaction to the story would have been different originally if he'd been drawing it from the start -- Trondheim's style is very isometric and zoomed-out and almost sprite-like, in a way that isn't like much else you see these days and which played well with the idea of a story about the shitty people who run an honest-to-god roguelike dungeon. Boulet gets much more up-close and personal with everyone, and it's a very different feel.
May 25, 2015
Päätön miekka ja magia -sarja jatkaa tarinaansa Barbarian princess -albumista. Piirtäjä on nyt vaihtunut, ja ankka Herbertistä on tullut maskuliinisempi. Back in style -albumissa on kaksi tarinaa, joista toisessa kasakkaprinsessa Isistä naitetaan Dungeonin Keeperille, vaikka prinsessa haluaisi Herbertin. Häätohinoissa tosin Keeperille käy talousasioissa huonosti ja mitäs sitten tapahtuukaan... Toisessa tarinassa Herbert haluaa käydä kotikaupungissaan, josta hänet on kuoleman uhalla karkoitettu. Herbert kuitenkin naamioituu taikajuoman avulla Mask of Deathiksi, jotta häntä ei tunnistettaisi.
Herkullisia juonenkäänteitä, täpäriä pelastumisia ja vähemmän täpäriä kiinnijäämisiä, ilmeikkäitä henkilöitä ja kirsikkana kakun päällä Mask of Deathin hulvaton kielari.
Herkullisia juonenkäänteitä, täpäriä pelastumisia ja vähemmän täpäriä kiinnijäämisiä, ilmeikkäitä henkilöitä ja kirsikkana kakun päällä Mask of Deathin hulvaton kielari.
October 27, 2017
"Back in Style" makes you adapt to a different drawing style, that of Boulet's. After the first couple of pages it grows on you and the third and final album of the Zenith trilogy keeps you hooked on beautiful drawings and non-stop action. Just a tad worse than the first two volumes in a matter of one-liners and humor, it's more serious plotline works as an introduction to the Crepescule tetralogy.
It's an easy choice, don't hesitate a bit to dive in Zenith. One of the best works of Sfar and Trondheim both.
It's an easy choice, don't hesitate a bit to dive in Zenith. One of the best works of Sfar and Trondheim both.
March 9, 2012
This is a wonderful series. There are five or six series in the Dungeon "world" and all are great. This series is about the Dungeon at the height of its success. I like that each series has a different artist to differentiate it, but most, if not all of the series are written by either Johan Sfar or Lewis Trondheim. These men are comic geniuses and I would follow just about anything they set words or ink pen to.
May 4, 2019
Again expertly written but should get more of a 4,5 star rating due to a problem that has been pointed out in other reviews. Dungeon suffers from extreme time compression where between the volumes a lot of changes to the characters takes place between the story-arcs. This can be overcome while reading but another problem is that the arcs just end. No resolution is offered to certain problems, not even in the following arcs.
March 1, 2016
I'm not sure what about this volume made me enjoy it less than the previous two. I guess maybe I was finding myself just a little more lost in trying to follow the stories, it seemed less irreverent and funny or something too. I don't know. I still liked it, but it didn't really have me going like the previous two.
July 27, 2019
After reading a Dungeon graphic novel I'm usually all inspired to create something similar, but this time I wasn't. It didn't really start grabbing me until the last half. It wasn't terrible, just not as good for me as some of the others. Also very sad to see that the next book was never made.
October 25, 2021
I typically LOVE these but this one is a bit too confusing and there is no ending. Then, there are way to many "Tong Deums" in many too many near escapes.
The art is an imitation of TrodSfar that works well enough but I don't think I would like his work otherwise.
The art is an imitation of TrodSfar that works well enough but I don't think I would like his work otherwise.
March 29, 2018
More great fantasy fun, great art, great twists, great entertainment.
March 29, 2024
this one was a bit slower but i'm excited for number 4
March 25, 2010
Not bad, but they changed artists here (though Trondheim was still involved as a writer) and with the change in art came a change in tone. It's not like it's heavy and serious now, but the story's less chaotic and silly, and as a result somewhat less enjoyable. Likewise for the artwork.
September 3, 2010
I love the oddball cast of characters that Sfar and Trondheim have brought together who, in the face of all the violence and silliness, feel like a real family. The only disappointment with this volume is not knowing when I'll get to read more about Herbert and Marvin's stories.
November 21, 2012
"Dungeon" continues on its pleasant but somewhat underwhelming path of witty but simple fables inhabited by sympathetic but a bit flat characters. Sfar and Trondheim bring life to the dialogue, elevating the ambiance of the stories above their content.
May 14, 2009
Just another great edition to the series. all books get 5 stars from me. Can't wait for the next one.
May 21, 2009
Hilarious. Everyone should read this.
June 13, 2010
Fun, but a bit empty.
May 16, 2012
The continuing entertaining adventures of Herbert and Isis with Marvin and the Dungeon Keeper
November 1, 2012
dark, dramatic, disturbing AND ridiculous. the mask of death and isis tongue-kissing sequence is right up there.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews