STERN Vol 1: The Undertaker, The Vagrant & The Assassin Review!

  

I was accepted to read Stern Vol 1 by Europe Comics via NetGalley (So thank you to them!) and as much as I love graphic novels, I have stopped allowing myself to expect anything much different from one I've read previously (excluding Saga, don't worry) and rather this helped in Stern's favour or we have just a pure awesome story here that took medal all on its own.

Stern was written by Frederic Maffre and illustrated by Julien Maffre, and was released September 2017. The graphic novel is a western set in the 1800's about Elijah, a calm and quiet undertaker whose simple job of burying corpses puts him at the investigative head of a murder.

We have all the loved traits of a western setting that so many of us love in western cinema and other novels, everything from saloons and their whiskey coated drunks to prostitutes and an ignorant sheriff whose jail consists of his desk and two small cell's. What really sets of these locations and environments is Julien's illustrations; there is a subtle masterpiece to nearly every square of art, but my favourite's are the long and establishing shots of places like Elijah's small cabin hut house next to the cemetery. Whether the sun is rising or rain is falling, I could feel the cold or the warmth and hear the quiet patter of the rain at the back's of my ears. This comic is very fantastic to look at.



Story wise, I was at first worried it would be a little predictable, but Frederic easily took something over done and moulded it into his own child. I think this comic is almost like a black sheep of it's own genre, because it's subtle and quiet but holds a very, very big punch swung from it's great character work. The character of Elijah is very important, not just because he stands as the main character with the story moving around him rather than about him, he is like a misshapen puzzle piece that doesn't fit the puzzle but the box shows clearly he is the last and most important piece. Like I said before, there is a sheriff, prostitutes, a grumpy and strict madam who runs the brothel and even a piano in the saloon; Elijah is odd, from his clothes and hair, to his personality and lack of garishness. The best way to describe Elijah is to get you to imagine a sober, younger version of Edgar Allan Poe, at least that's what I thought of! 😱

It may not have had me gasping at the reveal of some of the reasons for certain events, but I definitely did when I realised I had finished it and now I need Vol 2! However in looking for a publication date for it, I have struggled as I believe the novel is French and has been translated so any information I have found has been in a language and I'm too lazy and British to know what it all means, so if I get a date I will update this piece!

If you like westerns, cinematic comic artistry or a gritty story of great true to themselves characters, definitely pick up Stern Vol 1: The Undertaker, The Vagrant & The Assassin! 


Stern Vol 1: The Undertaker, The Vagrant & The Assassin

😵😵😵😵


The rating system is currently out of 5 dizzy faces! 😵




Top Images taken from:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/574493/574493._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg
http://www.coinbd.com/series-bd/stern/le-croque-mort-le-clochard-et-l-assassin/images/planche/20151111204148_t1.jpg
https://ds1.static.rtbf.be/article/image/1240x800/e/2/d/71524af08558d68448cee4663de9343d-1440504508.jpg


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

You Can't Just Kiss Anyone You Want ARC Review!

The Ending of the F***ing World Vs TEOTFW