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Terry Hooper-Scharf

Sunday 22 April 2012

The NextArt -Der Engel

I posted about this comic a couple weeks back though I had not seen the series at that time:

http://www.comicbitsonline.com/2012/04/06/tomppa-and-der-engel/

Regulars will recall that I had posted on the fact that there was no reason why there could not be UK based super heroes, you just needed to adapt them to UK settings, etc.. Subzero on his Tales From The Kryptonian blog (see blog roll) followed this about German super heroes.  The same thing applied.
However, we both noted how hostile certain factions in both German and UK comics were to even attempting home grown super heroes.

I need to point out that Tomppa has done just that.  He has taken a scenario and based his character in Berlin in the year 2029 -not that far off really.  The story works well and there is good characterisation and I think that Der Engel will one day become a classic German comic series -rather like Dorn Der Morgenstern has become legendary.

What struck me was the art style.  In the first issue it looks a little sketchy and crude in places, though the architecture looks great.  I ought to point out that there is nothing wrong with the art -bear with me I’m getting there!  In the second issue the art improves and there is some nice usage of effects.  We then get to issue 3 where the art has improved greatly -better use of washes and much, much more.

This had me puzzled.  Then I looked at the dates of the comics.  Nr. 1 -2009.  Nr. 2 -2010 and Nr. 3 -2012.  That explains a lot as you would not expect such a change in quality over three issues produced in the same year (there are exceptions).

If you are one of CBOs German regulars and you’ve not bought the series yet -please do!  And I know there are people out there who like to collect  super hero books in other languages to compare or as novelties -Der Engel is one you ought to try.

With all the events going on at the moment with revolutions, mass rallies and attempted supression I think Der Engel is, and will continue to be, contempory even in ten years time.  The world changes that little.
Now, when does Der Engel action figure arrive???

There isn’t one?!  Oh.  Have a big helping of art then!

Remember there is a The NextArt link on the blog roll but you can use this link to browse and buy:

http://www.thenextart.de/verlag/index.html


Der Engel Nr. 1


Autor/Zeichner: Tomppa
28 Seiten, s/w/rot, US-Comic-Format
4,00 EUR
ISBN: 978-3-939400-28-8
Berlin in 2029. The cityscape has changed completely. Violence in the streets is a daily occurrence. Here the Angel goes on his own personal vendetta little realising the dimensions of the conspiracy he has become caught up in.




Der Engel Nr. 2


Author / Illustrator: Tomppa
28 pages, b / w / red, U.S. comic format
4.00 EUR
ISBN: 978-3-939400-25-7
The assassination of the governing mayor of Berlin is on the verge of executed. Will the Angel be able to save him -and what happens if he cannot?





Der Engel nr. 3
Author / Illustrator: Tomppa
28 pages, b / w / red, U.S. comic format
5.00 EUR
ISBN 978-3-939400-38-7
The action intensifies as the Angel tries to intervene in the conflict and a new masked man appears.  However, the Angel’s intervention has tragic consequences.





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