French Comics

Blueberry is a Franco-Belgian comics western series created by the Belgian scriptwriter Jean-Michel Charlier and French comics artist Jean "Mœbius" Giraud. It chronicles the adventures of Mike Blueberry on his travels through the American Old West. Blueberry is an atypical western hero, he is not a wandering lawman who brings evil-doers to justice, nor a handsome cowboy who "rides into town, saves the ranch, becomes the new sheriff and marries the schoolmarm." The story follows Michael Steven Donovan, nicknamed "Blueberry", a name he chose when fleeing from his Southern enemies (which was inspired when he looked at a blueberry bush), starting with his adventures as a lieutenant in the United States Cavalry shortly after the American Civil War. He is accompanied in many tales by his hard-drinking deputy, Jimmy McClure, and later also by Red Woolley, a rugged pioneer. Donovan is the son of a rich Southern farmer and started as a dedicated racist. He was framed for a murder he did not commit, had to flee and was saved by an African-American. He became an enemy of discrimination of all kinds, fought against the Confederates (although he was a Southerner himself), and tried to protect the rights of Native Americans.

Murena a bouleversé la destinée de Philippe Delaby. L'artiste a vécu l'osmose artistique avec son ami scénariste Jean Dufaux comme une fulgurance. La fragilité du dessinateur est venue nourrir la force et la sensualité visionnaire du trait. Le plaisir esthétique a conforté la rigueur du style. Avec Murena, Philippe Delaby s'est révélé parmi les maîtres contemporains du réalisme. La ligne charnelle de sa Rome noire est un enchantement pour les yeux et l'esprit, un miracle d'émotion graphique.