Joan, Volume 1

Rating:
Summary: Japanese manga--in color--about a follower of Joan of Arc
Review: "Joan," a graphic novel in three volumes, is that rare Japanese illustrated work that's in full color. And what gorgeous color it is! Not the sterile, computer-created, digitally applied color one sees in American comic books these days, but beautiful and elegant watercolors applied to the dramatic line renderings of the people and places of 15th century France.

The story follows the adventures of Emil of Lorraine, a girl raised as a boy by Captain Baudricourt after the death of her father, the Duke of Lorraine, to keep her safe from the cruel spite of the Duke's wife. Emil is compelled to follow in the footsteps of Joan of Arc eleven years after the latter was burned at the stake following her failed campaign to unite the different provinces of France and drive out the English. Joan did succeed, however, in getting the Dauphin crowned King Charles VII of France. It is Charles whom Emil now seeks out to continue Joan's mission, but she comes up against a formidable rogues' gallery of villainous nobles with agendas of their own, including Charles' own son, the Dauphin Louis. Helping her maintain her faith is the vision of Joan herself who appears to Emil at key moments.

In this volume, Emil literally follows the journey that Joan took, traveling to Domremy, where Joan, or "La Pucelle" as she was called by her followers, grew up, and Orleans, where Joan and her troops broke the English siege. On the way, she and her small group of followers have a skirmish with a band of highwaymen, leading to a burst of the kind of swift riding and fighting action which is something of a specialty of the artist, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. Later, in Orleans, Emil has her first fateful--and violent--encounter with the Dauphin Louis.

The artwork in this series is breathtaking and makes imaginative use of color to convey effects of light, shadow and darkness. The occasional full-page and half-page panels recall some of the very best book illustrations. One might consider buying another copy just to cut out some of the pages to frame. Yoshikazu Yasuhiko is a manga artist who also happens to have worked in anime as an animation director and character designer. He is best known to anime fans for MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, CRUSHER JOE, and VENUS WARS and to manga fans for "Venus Wars" and "Rebel Sword."