The Arctic Marauder

by Jacques Tardi | Graphic Novels |
ISBN: 1606994352 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 8/4/2012
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This book is in the wild! This Book is Currently in the Wild!
3 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Saturday, August 4, 2012
The bizarre Arctic/steampunk/what-is-that-thing cover-art of this graphic novel caught my eye. It's something of a homage to Jules Verne, with some nudge-nudge-wink-wink in there as well - and besides, it's got Arctic steampunk!

The story opens with a steamship encountering an iceberg with a clipper ship frozen to its top. A party manages to scale the berg and examine the ship, which has its full complement of crew all frozen in their places; how could this have happened? Just as they're checking the captain's log, there's a huge explosion, and they dash out to find that the ship they came in has exploded, stranding them on the iceberg...

The survivors, including Jacques Plumier, the central character here, are eventually rescued, and Plumier decides to investigate these events, with the aid of the papers he found in the cabin of the frozen ship. (There are some lovely scenes along the way, such as his stop at the Montparnasse Cemetery, which I visited some years back.) Plumier turns up some very unexpected things in his late uncle's laboratory, and moves on to take another ship to the site of the original disaster - and from there things get really weird! Unexpected revelations, strange science, surprising choices, charmingly melodramatic text ("Oh! Why must man always be tempted by evil?!"), maniacal laughter, and exquisite artwork. Great fun!

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing at Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Released 11 yrs ago (10/9/2012 UTC) at Nashua, New Hampshire USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I'm adding this book to the Steampunk bookbox, which will be on its way back to BCer emmejo in New York today. Hope someone enjoys it!

Journal Entry 3 by emmejo at Trumansburg, New York USA on Sunday, October 14, 2012
This came to me in the Steampunk Bookbox. It looks like a fun comic.

Journal Entry 4 by emmejo at Trumansburg, New York USA on Thursday, May 16, 2013
This book was fun, but rather oddly plotted. I liked the artwork and the clever layouts which often took inspiration from submarine or sailing ships in their shape. The humorously melodramatic writing was a source for a few laughs and the artist did a good job making interesting looking characters and creating the moods of the book.

However, I was left wondering if some of the plot got lost in translation. The pacing jerked around and the chapters sometimes didn't feel as if they had fit together as smoothly a one would hope. There is a clear cliffhanger ending, but a number of the smaller plot threads seem to have been dropped as well. It meant I closed the book feeling rather unsatisfied.

Journal Entry 5 by emmejo at Trumansburg, New York USA on Thursday, May 23, 2013

Released 10 yrs ago (5/23/2013 UTC) at Trumansburg, New York USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:


Journal Entry 6 by winglove2cookwing at Pearland, Texas USA on Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Rescued from the ABC bookbox.

Journal Entry 7 by winglove2cookwing at Helping Hands Food Pantry in Pearland, Texas USA on Monday, August 19, 2013

Released 10 yrs ago (8/19/2013 UTC) at Helping Hands Food Pantry in Pearland, Texas USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

To the finder of this book:
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