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scans_daily2017-09-20 08:44 am
riddler13) wrote in scans_daily2017-09-20 08:44 am
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The Yellow "M" (1953-54)
"Blake and Mortimer" is one of the most well-known Belgian comics series, created by Edgar P. Jacobs (1904-1987). The title is a bit of a misnomer due to phonetic issues - the titular character is, in fact, Philip Mortimer, a British scientist. He is aided by his "heterosexual life partner" (a common feature in Belgian comics at the time, and the inspiration for many a slash fanfic) capt. Francis Blake of the MI5. The book mixes detective and spy elements with fantastic concepts such as UFOs, time travel and Atlantis.
I was going to post my first contact with their books, "The Necklace Affair", but thought it best to start with the most famous story of all, "The Yellow 'M'" - the one with the most iconic cover of the series, copied by various comic book artists.
At the Tower of London, the guards are baffled reading about the exploits of the "Yellow M", a criminal who warns the police 24 hours in advance before committing impossible crimes. After the crime is done, he leaves a yellow M written in chalk.
Suddenly the lights go out, a sentinel collapses, and a routine check turns out to be a piece of bad news indeed.
The following day, Britain is understandably in a bit of an uproar, and captain Blake sends a wire to his good friend interrupting Mortimer's holidays.
After they part ways, Vernay and Septimus walk together back to their homes. Septimus is uneasy and leaves in a cab. Right after that, Vernay is kidnapped. Police interrogate Septimus, but there's not much he can help them with.
The investigation continues with the others present at the club, but not much light is shed upon the kidnapping, until Macomber receives a letter informing him that something interesting "will take place in London in the next 24 hours" with the yellow M signed below. It is all over the news, as expected. And the interesting event is Macomber's abduction.
Judge Calvin is placed under the police's protection, with Chief Inspector Kendall himself overseeing the operation. And the judge is, of course, the next one kidnapped by the Yellow M.
It was just a bottle of whisky dropped by professor Septimus' assistant, "Guinea Pig", a victim of the Blitz who had lost his memory. Blake then gets a call from professor Mortimer, who tells him that the fourth and final warning has arrived. Sure enough, Septimus tries to leave for his country cottage in Suffolk with Blake and Mortimer escorting him, but to no avail - it is his turn now, and the train is sabotaged.
The next day, Mortimer is at the archives of the Daily Mail where he is conducting his own research into the affair.
He tracks the book at the British Museum library, but someone had just asked to read that copy. Mortimer walks up to booth 13, where the reader would be located, only to find it empty with a yellow M scrawled on it.
Blake and Mortimer reconvene at their place and the professor explains that he stumbled upon his theory following the journalist's remark that these kidnappings were not as spectacular as the previous crimes, and assumed it was a personal vendetta. That same night, a mysterious cloaked figure breaks into their home, but is intercepted by Mortimer and his faithful butler Nasir.
Blake rushes to their aid but the Yellow M scrawls his sign on a wall and leaves, unharmed.
They both find out that M had wiretapped their home and had arrived in order to deliver a warning note personally. Also, they send the smashed bullets to a ballistics experts, who says that no bulletproof vest could have stopped those shots the way M did.
But Mortimer gets at least a piece of good news: the librarian has found the book. And by reading it, he realizes Blake is walking into a trap.
M throws himself in the Thames and, while the police is looking for the body, steals a police cars and makes his getaway. Mortimer, in a taxi cab, is chasing him.
Mortimer, in dogged pursuit on foot, follows M through the sewers and finds out M's true identity!
Olrik is their archenemy. After "The Mystery of the Great Pyramid", he was left in a catatonic state, and was found in the desert by Dr. Septimus.
Septimus tells the story of how he was criticized by Vernay in the medical circles, ridiculed by Macomber in the press and defeated in court by Calvin. Embittered, he embarked to Sudan to work as a doctor, where he stumbled upon Olrik and used him as his "guinea pig" in his mind experiments. And that is why he kidnapped the other three - in order to use them as new guinea pigs while extracting his revenge at the same time.
The police are conducting a search for Mortimer's whereabouts. They ask the BBC to transmit a special bulletin, which is intercepted by Septimus' signal. Triangulating the signal, they arrive at his block. At the same time, the cab driver recognizes Mortimer and report to the police.
At the same time, seven Harley Street doctors are captured by Septimus, and bear witness to his experiment.
Police find the hideout while Mortimer manages to make his escape from the cell he's been held in.
Inside that hat box? The Crown jewels!
Olrik is free but at least Mortimer and the other captives are safe and the jewels have been retrieved.
"Blake and Mortimer" were recently (wow, actually, about a decade ago or so) translated by Cinebook Ltd., a British company who specializes in Belgian and French comics, which gives an interesting twist to a comic set in Britain with two protagonists from Albion.
I was going to post my first contact with their books, "The Necklace Affair", but thought it best to start with the most famous story of all, "The Yellow 'M'" - the one with the most iconic cover of the series, copied by various comic book artists.
At the Tower of London, the guards are baffled reading about the exploits of the "Yellow M", a criminal who warns the police 24 hours in advance before committing impossible crimes. After the crime is done, he leaves a yellow M written in chalk.
Suddenly the lights go out, a sentinel collapses, and a routine check turns out to be a piece of bad news indeed.
The following day, Britain is understandably in a bit of an uproar, and captain Blake sends a wire to his good friend interrupting Mortimer's holidays.
After they part ways, Vernay and Septimus walk together back to their homes. Septimus is uneasy and leaves in a cab. Right after that, Vernay is kidnapped. Police interrogate Septimus, but there's not much he can help them with.
The investigation continues with the others present at the club, but not much light is shed upon the kidnapping, until Macomber receives a letter informing him that something interesting "will take place in London in the next 24 hours" with the yellow M signed below. It is all over the news, as expected. And the interesting event is Macomber's abduction.
Judge Calvin is placed under the police's protection, with Chief Inspector Kendall himself overseeing the operation. And the judge is, of course, the next one kidnapped by the Yellow M.
It was just a bottle of whisky dropped by professor Septimus' assistant, "Guinea Pig", a victim of the Blitz who had lost his memory. Blake then gets a call from professor Mortimer, who tells him that the fourth and final warning has arrived. Sure enough, Septimus tries to leave for his country cottage in Suffolk with Blake and Mortimer escorting him, but to no avail - it is his turn now, and the train is sabotaged.
The next day, Mortimer is at the archives of the Daily Mail where he is conducting his own research into the affair.
He tracks the book at the British Museum library, but someone had just asked to read that copy. Mortimer walks up to booth 13, where the reader would be located, only to find it empty with a yellow M scrawled on it.
Blake and Mortimer reconvene at their place and the professor explains that he stumbled upon his theory following the journalist's remark that these kidnappings were not as spectacular as the previous crimes, and assumed it was a personal vendetta. That same night, a mysterious cloaked figure breaks into their home, but is intercepted by Mortimer and his faithful butler Nasir.
Blake rushes to their aid but the Yellow M scrawls his sign on a wall and leaves, unharmed.
They both find out that M had wiretapped their home and had arrived in order to deliver a warning note personally. Also, they send the smashed bullets to a ballistics experts, who says that no bulletproof vest could have stopped those shots the way M did.
But Mortimer gets at least a piece of good news: the librarian has found the book. And by reading it, he realizes Blake is walking into a trap.
M throws himself in the Thames and, while the police is looking for the body, steals a police cars and makes his getaway. Mortimer, in a taxi cab, is chasing him.
Mortimer, in dogged pursuit on foot, follows M through the sewers and finds out M's true identity!
Olrik is their archenemy. After "The Mystery of the Great Pyramid", he was left in a catatonic state, and was found in the desert by Dr. Septimus.
Septimus tells the story of how he was criticized by Vernay in the medical circles, ridiculed by Macomber in the press and defeated in court by Calvin. Embittered, he embarked to Sudan to work as a doctor, where he stumbled upon Olrik and used him as his "guinea pig" in his mind experiments. And that is why he kidnapped the other three - in order to use them as new guinea pigs while extracting his revenge at the same time.
The police are conducting a search for Mortimer's whereabouts. They ask the BBC to transmit a special bulletin, which is intercepted by Septimus' signal. Triangulating the signal, they arrive at his block. At the same time, the cab driver recognizes Mortimer and report to the police.
At the same time, seven Harley Street doctors are captured by Septimus, and bear witness to his experiment.
Police find the hideout while Mortimer manages to make his escape from the cell he's been held in.
Inside that hat box? The Crown jewels!
Olrik is free but at least Mortimer and the other captives are safe and the jewels have been retrieved.
"Blake and Mortimer" were recently (wow, actually, about a decade ago or so) translated by Cinebook Ltd., a British company who specializes in Belgian and French comics, which gives an interesting twist to a comic set in Britain with two protagonists from Albion.
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