XIII Vol. 1: The Day of the Black Sun GN
Publisher: Cinebook Ltd.
Release Date: July 2010
Price: $11.95
Creator(s): Written by Jean Van Hamme and art by William Vance
Format: 48 pgs.; Oversized Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-8491-8039-9
Age Rating: Teen+
ICv2 Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

This first volume of the XIII series is an odd blend of The Prisoner and Modesty Blaise.  This European graphic album series draws elements from those and other crime and spy fiction, in both text and visual form.

The central character washes ashore, the only identifying mark on him a tattoo of Roman numeral “XIII.”  A head wound has seemingly robbed him of his memory, but who is he and why was he shot?  Of course, his past will come back to haunt him.

Over the course of the story, there is quite a body count, as more people are drawn into a very complex story, which unfolds over a 20-volume graphic album series.  In this first volume, few things are resolved, even whether the main character is a good guy or a bad guy, and that’s part of the point.  It’s a slow, rich story, one that some readers will fail to appreciate.  Those who stick around for the ride will enjoy the story immensely.

Writer Jean Van Hamme has created a gripping noir world of crime, politics, murder and who knows just what else.  Artist William Vance has done an excellent job of giving us brief, moving death scenes without drowning the reader in gore.  Both capture the imagination of the reader, who quickly realizes that there’s a mystery behind every door.

The story is aimed at older readers, primarily adults.  The contents do not exclude teens, but they may not appreciate the pacing, slow but with quite a bit of serious violence.

--Nick Smith: Librarian Technician, Community Services, for the Pasadena Public Library in California.