eBook Corto Maltese in Siberia (English and Italian Edition) epub

Chapter Two of The Ethiopian, "The Coup de Grace," opens with lines from a poem, "The Drunken Boat," superimposed over scenes of the desert. Rows of cacti and a pair of camels give way to images with an undercurrent of danger: a scorpion, a large machine gun, and a soldier and flag of the King's African Rifles. The following page shifts the scene to the interior of a fort displaying the banner of the K.A.R., where the speaker is revealed to be a tidy white man in military garb. "Ah, yes... I love Rimbaud," Captain Bradt wonders aloud.

Then, from behind a wicker chair, Corto Maltese's head pokes out, cigarette in mouth: "You surprise me! I don't know why, but I thought that career officers of the British Army only liked Kipling."

This clever exchange underscores an important theme of The Ethiopian: an examination of colonialism and the desire for control that forms part of the basis of it--Hugo Pratt frames much of the conflict in this book in machinations by the British in the pursuit of empire.

Corto, being half-British himself, can never fully belong to the Danakil or the British or any of the other groups of people featured in The Ethiopian, but he is able to occupy those spheres by virtue of his knowledge of Islam and Great Britain, and even navigate those spheres to some extent by virtue of his deeds. Save for the first story, Corto's only stake in the book's adventures seems to be the preservation of his own life: the stories see him stumbling into gun battles, an execution and an inter-tribe war, and exiting with barely his own jacket intact. But it's because he is so far removed from everything that Corto is able to act in a manner that does not forward the British agenda nor the agenda of the people they seek to control. He acts according to a personal code of honor that values friendship and sympathy for whoever's the weakest at any given moment, be it oppressed or oppressor. "I'm not a hero..." Corto remarks to himself during a quiet moment between life-threatening situations. It's a line couched in some introspection that really encapsulates the heart of the character.

There's nothing that could be said about the quality of this book's printing that hasn't been said already: the reproduction of Pratt's art is excellent and the translation reads well. The inside cover flaps feature a picture from the Danakil desert and of Pratt in Ethiopia in 1982, and pull out into identical maps of Ethiopia. There is one obvious typo in the second page of Chapter One, but otherwise it's a fine printing.

There are only four stories featured here: "In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate," "The Coup de Grace," "... And of Other Romeos and Other Juliets" and "The Leopard-Men of the Rufiji." The first three feature Corto's travels with the Danakil Cush in Ethiopia, while the last seems to stand apart from the others--"The Leopard-Men of the Rufiji" takes place in Tanzania, has a more hurried pace than its predecessors, and only barely hearkens back to the adventures preceding it. In fact, more time is spent dwelling on an adventure that hasn't yet been reprinted by IDW publishing.

They're all generally good stories, though. One major complaint is the lack of any strong woman presence in any of these stories--in fact, only one of the stories depicts a woman at all, and her role is merely a pawn in a larger power struggle. There's very little to her beyond that. This is disappointing, especially considering the women Pratt's featured in previous books. The second complaint is related to the last story, "The Leopard-Men of the Rufiji," which exhibits a group of Africans who operate outside of colonial and tribal boundaries to administer justice across the continent. This story appears to rehabilitate the image of the real-world "Leopard Society" written about in the early 20th century; portrayed as cannibals in historical accounts, Pratt ennobles them in this last story. Despite this, it almost seems like Pratt is homogenizing an entire continent when he writes that there is "one true law" of Africa that Leopard Men serve. This does serve the larger end of repudiating colonial rule, but the apparent oversimplification in depicting Africa as monolith almost comes across as a misstep. A closer reading might dispel this interpretation.

Ultimately, it's best to keep in mind that these stories were originally intended as adventure comics for young men. That Pratt is able to infuse them with such profound subtext is a testament to his skill as an artist. Many of the lessons conveyed here about imperialism will certainly be salient to readers in light of what’s happening in the world today.

Corto Maltese.....where to begin...when I was a lad in the 80's I did many things I wasn't old enough to do...I would weekly sneak into the living room to watch New Wave Theatre hosted by Peter Ivers on USA Network's Night Flight television block with the sound turned really really low pressing my ear to the TV speaker and trying to watch the screen and the hallway so as not to get caught....but the biggest coup I ever pulled off was to somehow buy several issues of Heavy Metal....this was before they slapped Heavy Metal issues in plastic bags with For Mature Audiences stickers....I'd stick it under an issue of Archeology magazine (which I read rabidly and still do though not as rabidly as I did in my youth) with a copy of National Geographic (which I didn't need to buy since my family had a subscription to National Geographic I just did it to have a respectable cover for what I was really purchasing)...I'd go up to the register and very calmly hand the person at the register my money....inside I would be sweating bullets but outwardly I would seem to be very very calm...just a nerdy little kid....funny and absent minded with his glasses perched on his nose....all of it a perfect con....the dodge always worked....I learned early the old magician's trick of hiding in plain sight ....so what does this have to with Hugo Pratt's immortal Corto Maltese....pulchritude and violence seem to be what most people associate with Heavy Metal and that's a shame because Heavy Metal printed some of the best comics ever published by some of the greatest comic artists in the world...I was introduced to the works of Philippe Druillet, Jean Giraud, and most importantly Hugo Pratt...the first issue of Heavy Metal I ever bought was where I met Corto Maltese....that story sent electricity up my spine (I know that's a cliche but it is an apt image) the story was " Banana Congo"... a man dressed as sailing captain in a dusty street on a dark Caribbean night walks into an ambush that's meant for another man....a man carrying a suitcase....a man who soon lies dying at Corto Maltese's feet...of a promise to a dying man (not the last such promise Corto would make to the dying)....of assassins and mercenaries willing to kill and betray for something that ultimately is as worthless as air....to say anymore would spoil the reader's enjoyment of this masterful story which is collected in this book....and that's just the tiniest fraction of the adventures that Corto Maltese always stumbles into...bottom line, dear future reader, is purchase this book and all the volumes of IDW's Complete Collected Corto Maltese....I don't care if you have to steal or extort money....this isn't just comics this is high art and literature in the form of comics.

Corto Maltese returns to Buenos Aires after a 15-year absence in order to locate an old friend, a prostitute named Louise, who wrote Corto asking for help. He discovers that she has been murdered leaving a young daughter behind. Corto decides to track down the daughter to make sure she’s taken care of but in the process inadvertently finds himself in the crosshairs of some very powerful people. There is all sorts of political intrigue and assassinations and possibly an appearance by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

I wrote a very critical review after my first read through but I’m going to be much kinder after a second careful reading. This is a story that requires the reader to pay very close attention because you can get lost very quickly. Hugo Pratt tends to use a lot of characters and there is a ton of dialogue in this short 53 page story. You might be surprised out how long it takes you to get through such a short book. It’s not my favorite Corto Maltese story but if you can follow the plot it’s very rewarding.

I quickly perused the previous thirteen reviews and everyone, save one, gave it five stars. Who am I to argue? This episode takes Corto to Africa where he has adventures with the unforgettable character Cush. After reading "Celtic Tales" I was afraid that the series was to be headed into a decline, but sometimes it's good to be wrong. This is the sixth book of twelve, the fifth one that I've read and I have to say that this is my favorite so far. I'm thrilled that I still have some unread Corto Maltese books! The format that IDW has published these books is a real treat to hold in your hands. It's officially a paperback, but it feels like holding a hardback edition. Highly recommended.