La Quête de l’Oiseau du Temps by Loisel et Le Tendre
I used to love this series when I was a teenager, it might very well be the first fantasy cycle in comics format I read and loved. I have vague memories of rereading it years later as an adult, and finding it shallow. I was stuck inside my parents' home for a few days due to the recent heatstroke in France, and took my battered tomes out of the shelf for a read expecting the confirmation of my earlier adult impression. Instead I rediscovered a graphic marvel, combined with unbridled world building, with a strong 70s vibe (despite this first being published in the 80s). The plot isn't particularly thrilling or original, although the final twist is well led, and the sense of sacrifice of the characters as well as the framing rather more intelligent than I remembered. I also expected a very male gaze / sexist point of view to the story, but while there are hints of it, it's rather more intelligent and modern than it seems, with not one but three strong female characters very happy to lead men by the nose to get to their goals. While that's probably the aspect of the story that hasn't aged so well, it's nowhere near as bad as much of the fantasy output of the era. All in all, rather better than I feared, looks like I won't be selling off these original editions anytime soon (in any case, considering the state they're in, they wouldn't be worth much...)
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