In beferzen mar by Durk van der Ploeg

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I, "whodunnit" in a village of twelve 1 families somewhere in the Ghanaian , jungle. The investigation, however, 1 becomes increasingly complex, and i Kayo's discussions with Opanyin 1 Poku and Oduro, residents of the i village, are told through a web of [ storyand palm wine, i The story within the story , explores themysterious, employing 1 Ghanaian proverbs and ancestral i wisdom. In the narrative of Opanyin 1 Poku, we read: "Ei, wonders will i never cease. They say nothing is [ other thanwhat you see, but itisalso i true thatnothing isother thanwhat , you don't see." 1 It would be easy to state thatthe i demonstrative differences of rural 1 versus metropolis, East versus West, i and rational versus ethereal are the [ basic tenets of this book, but that i would be doing thispublication an , injustice.Tail ofthe Blue Bird reminds 1 us that, although events may be , rationalized, explained as "fate," or 1 accepted as the unknown doings of i ethereal forces, the universal fact 1 remains that as humans, we all pass i through them, liveand endure them; [ whatever our cultural or philosophi cal stance, we survive life's events to , greater or lesser degrees. 1 Emma Dawson iKeele University Ii Tiziano Sclavi. The Dylan Dog Case [ Files. Bojana Dozic et al., tr.Milwaukie, i Oregon. Dark Horse. 2009. 680 pages, [ ill. $24.95. ISBN 978-1-59582-206-2 , Dylan Dog isa London-based night 1 mare investigator conceptualized by i Tiziano Sclavi. He is theprotagonist ' of a comic book printed serially in i Italy,with a rotating cast of Italian , comics artists and dialogue writ ers includingAngelo Stano, Andrea i Venturi, Giampero Casertano, and 1 Reed Chaval. Dog is a heartbroken THE DYLAN DDG CASE FILES MORETHAN BO MILUON COPIESSOLO WORLDWIDE! playboy, more often whimsical or lucky than brave, accompanied by his assistant Felix. He is, however, instantly likeable,with his propen sity formodel ships, clarinet, and his VW Beetle.His sidekick Felix isa weak foil,an oddball uttererof jokes so corny that their translation into English must have been difficult? perhaps a backhanded compliment to themultiple translators (among them Bojana Dozic, Hazim Kazic, and Violeta Jurkovic)of thevolume. Entirely in black and white, the book's art is consistently profi cient but not noteworthy. At times, especially in "Zed," for example, it appears sloppy. The variety of art ists isn'tnoticeable; theyhave done a good job of renderingDylan Dog consistently, and that ambition per haps canceled any possibilities for greater visual interest. The textof The Case Files does contain a rich amount of highbrow allusions, especially to classical music and literature. There is also some interconnectedness between the stories, though reading them out oforderwould not detractmuch from their meaning. One consistent theme is the series' efforts to human ize monsters?often beginning with = situations of political incorrectness = (like "JohnnyFreak," about a deaf- = mute child amputee) but end in true = compassion, without patronizing = their subjects. = The book quotes Umberto Eco = on itscover, rankingDog alongside = the Bible and Homer in terms of = entertainment value. Superficially, = that is perhaps true. The Case Files = are entertaining, though they vary = rather little.By theend of each story, = Investigator Dog has solved what- = ever mystery was set before him, if = it hasn't been otherwise resolved. = Nightmares include zombies, pros- = titute killers, mysterious realities, = and the like; none is particularly = noteworthy on its own. Umberto = Eco on the beach in Greece, vaca- = tioning fromwriting On Ugliness, = reading and rereading Dylan Dog, = does not grow bored. = David Shook = LosAngeles = Durk van der Ploeg. In beferzen mar. = Ljouwert, Netherlands. Friese Pers. = 2009. 222 pages. 8.50. isbn 978-90-| 330-0839-9| The most recent novel by Durk van = der Ploeg, In beferzenmar (A fro- = zen lake), takes the reader back = to the author's familiar territory of = the stark, forsaken North Sea habi- = tat where Lochman (Loch) Raven, = the main character, functions as a = nature conservationist. It is a fitting = environment for mirroring the fro- = zen state of Loch's emotions and his = relationships. = Loch is a loner. He lost his = mother when he was only seven. He = lost his baby brother shortly there- = after when his heartless father aban- = doned him...