Thorgal and the Archers

[dr_hermes.insanejournal.com]

From 1985, this was written by Jean Van Hamme, drawn by Grzegorz Rosinski, translated into English by Chris Tanz and Jean-Paul Bierny. I have three of the albums collecting the Thorgal stories and read them until the covers fell off. So refreshing, the art and storytelling work so well together. It's not much like PRINCE VALIANT, my first thought skimming through the books. The mix of mythology, science fiction and high adventure is just right. I'd recommend any comics fan pick up an album if they see one and see if they don't itch to read the rest.Here's a nerve-stretching sequence with a cruel archery tournament. You don't have to have endless inhabited worlds blown up or cities destroyed by aliens to build suspense, and you don't need page after page of agitated monologues for drama.

Comments

[taggerung301.insanejournal.com]

ok, so I saw the word "Thorgal" before the picture, and I immediately thought: Thor Gal

sadly, not what I expected

[dr_hermes.insanejournal.com]

Sadly...? You don't think this is better than still another Marvel story coming up with still another female variation of a character?

[heat16.insanejournal.com]

A single issue of Thorgal is allways better than anything Marvel or DC have produced in the last 10 years.

[triestine.livejournal.com (from insanejournal.com)]

I subscribe to this comment.

[taggerung301.insanejournal.com]

lol, don't get all up in arms guys . . . I just thought that there would be an amusing parody or Thor or something

this comic looks plenty interesting

[ashtoreth.insanejournal.com]

I thought 'Thorgal' referred to a Thor Gal for years myself...But this tournament sucks ass as an archery contest. Inevitably, the better archer would get pincushioned by the worse archer.

[fungo_squiggly.insanejournal.com]

So I guess, if none of the contestants bowed out, the last team remaining unimpaled by arrows splits the prize?

I kind of like the idea that instead the final team them competes with each other in the exact same way.

"AAARGH! Hey, Kriss of Valnor just accidently shot me in the groin. That means... I win! Huzzah!"

[dr_hermes.insanejournal.com]

The last team does split the prize. I've already submitted this competition to the International Olympic Commission but so far they haven't answered. I told them, ratings would record-breaking and the very best paramedics would be standing by.

[midare.insanejournal.com]

Ah, Thorgal. My childhood.
(which is not all that good, seriously, what was the librarian thinking. Alinoe scared the shit out of me=
Tjall. ;_; I was so sad for him...

[arilou_skiff.insanejournal.com]

This is actually the only Thorgal album I've read. From what I've heard it got... Weird, later on (like "Aztec would-be-gods with ray-guns weird)

Loved this one though.

[heat16.insanejournal.com]

It's explained a little better than that, but I dont wish to ruin/spoil anything.

[arilou_skiff.insanejournal.com]

Oh, I only read this one and then the occasional story in The Phantom magazine while waiting for the dentist's (for some reason dentists carry The Phantom in their waiting rooms) and it was like "Okay, what the fuck happened in this comic!?" I was always kind of curious how we got from "The Archers" (which is *relatively* realistic in that sense) to the abovementioned weirdness.

Which reminds me, I need to scan some good Phantom stuff.

[psychop_rex.insanejournal.com]

Woo! That's pretty suspenseful, all right. It kind of reminds of me of a similar scene from 'The Seven Crystal Balls'.