As I’m sure you remember, we reviewed the first volume of Cinebook’s Long John Silver a while back, and it was good.
So it was with eager hands that I opened volume two, ready to experience something as good as the first volume. But, it is not as good. It is, if anything, even better than volume one.
The main reason for this is the title character. In volume one, Silver doesn’t get much to do, the main character is the delightfully odious Lady Vivian Hastings. Lady H is in here too, but she takes somewhat of a backseat to Silver this time around.
As I said before, previous attempts to write a sequel/spin-off/further adventure of the Treasure Island characters, and in particular John Silver, have failed by trying to make him into an heroic or likeable lead.
Xavier Dorison, the writer here, does not fall into that trap. His Silver is not a nice man. Witness here just how ruthless he is- how far he is prepared to go to silence any rumors of piracy or just what he is prepared to sacrifice to carry out his plan.
And the art by Mathieu Lauffray is… look, I’m running out of superlatives to describe the quality of art in these Cinebook volumes- okay?
I absolutely love the version of Silver in these books- he’s massive and muscle bound with a dark cruelty behind his eyes, and his character is brilliantly realised- he moves through this book like a shark through water.
As is now the norm with Cinebook, this ends at a surprising point in the story. Not unexpected- what happens in inevitable, I was just not expecting to see it happen when it did!
This really is beyond good.
Great book. I read it when I was 10 years old. Right now, I am playing the game Long John Silver. Good game, but not as good as the book. If you want, try playing it here: jocuri de indemanare!
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