Ever since I first discovered him, the Frenchman Fabien Nury has quickly become one of my favorite comic-authors.. Nury's work tend to fall under the "historical fiction"-genre, which as, you may know, is one of my favorite genres. Of all the comics that Nury has written, my personal favorite remains the one which introduced me to his work: Il Etait Une Fois en France (Once Upon A Time in France), drawn by Sylvain Vallée.
Il Etait Une Fois en France is based on the true story of Joseph Joanovici, one of the more obscure, yet fascinating characters of that horrible time in history known as the Second World War. In the comic, we follow Joanovici from the moment he arrives in France as an illiterate, Jewish immigrant, to his rise as one of the nation's wealthiest men and a hero of the resistance, to his eventual downfall.
As one would except from a comic like this, Il Etait Une Fois does not lack in suspense. The reader is treated to some very tense moments of sabotage, double-crossings, scheming and murder, as Joanovici does his best to live and prosper, making himself indispensable to both the Nazi occupation forces and the French resistance, while ultimately being loyal only to himself. However, Il Etait Une Fois en France is first and foremost, a character-study and its creators paint a very compelling portrait of their protagonist. Joanovici is a very ambiguous character, one who's both easy to root for and condemn, at the same time. On one hand, he's an opportunist and war-profiteer, who will betray and/or kill anyone, including his closest comrades, in order to prevent his double-dealings from being revealed. On the other hand, he also finances the resistance and uses his money and influence to save many lives.
Though Joanovici is the star of the comic, he's far from its only memorable character. Fabien and Nury surrounds their anti-hero with a strong supporting cast, consisting of family, friends, convenient allies and enemies. Among the characters that make a particularly strong impression are Lucie, Joseph's highly competent and loyal assistant, who also becomes his mistress, and Lafont, the diabolical head of Paris' gestapo and easily the most despicable character in the comic. Both of these characters, as well as several others, are based on historical figures.
On the visual side of things, Sylvain Vallée's artwork, with its realistic style and muted colors (courtesy of colorist Delf), compliments Nury's story very well. There were times during my read of Il Etait Une Fois en France, when Vallée's artwork made me think of some of my favorite classic movies, which I feel is appropriate.
As of the time of this post, I've yet to read the sixth and final volume in this series. However, even if it should turn out not be up to the same standards as its predecessors, I can say without a doubt that Il Etait Une Fois en France rank among the best comics I've read and one that's more than deserving to be available in English.
As one would except from a comic like this, Il Etait Une Fois does not lack in suspense. The reader is treated to some very tense moments of sabotage, double-crossings, scheming and murder, as Joanovici does his best to live and prosper, making himself indispensable to both the Nazi occupation forces and the French resistance, while ultimately being loyal only to himself. However, Il Etait Une Fois en France is first and foremost, a character-study and its creators paint a very compelling portrait of their protagonist. Joanovici is a very ambiguous character, one who's both easy to root for and condemn, at the same time. On one hand, he's an opportunist and war-profiteer, who will betray and/or kill anyone, including his closest comrades, in order to prevent his double-dealings from being revealed. On the other hand, he also finances the resistance and uses his money and influence to save many lives.
Though Joanovici is the star of the comic, he's far from its only memorable character. Fabien and Nury surrounds their anti-hero with a strong supporting cast, consisting of family, friends, convenient allies and enemies. Among the characters that make a particularly strong impression are Lucie, Joseph's highly competent and loyal assistant, who also becomes his mistress, and Lafont, the diabolical head of Paris' gestapo and easily the most despicable character in the comic. Both of these characters, as well as several others, are based on historical figures.
On the visual side of things, Sylvain Vallée's artwork, with its realistic style and muted colors (courtesy of colorist Delf), compliments Nury's story very well. There were times during my read of Il Etait Une Fois en France, when Vallée's artwork made me think of some of my favorite classic movies, which I feel is appropriate.
As of the time of this post, I've yet to read the sixth and final volume in this series. However, even if it should turn out not be up to the same standards as its predecessors, I can say without a doubt that Il Etait Une Fois en France rank among the best comics I've read and one that's more than deserving to be available in English.
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