Long John Silver I - Lady Vivian Hastings by Xavier Dorison & Mathieu Lauffray

Set 20 years after Treasure Island, this French graphic novel focuses on Lady Vivian Hastings. Her long absent and despised husband has sent word through his brother that he has finally found the fabled city of Guyana Capac. He is to sell everything, including the manor, to fund the expedition. Lady Hastings has been far from saintly waiting for her husband's return but in realizing her husband intends for her to live in a convent, she starts scheming with none other than Long John Silver to replace the crew with his men and secure her passage with the entourage. What could possibly go wrong with a ship full of people most concerned with their own skin? 


This graphic novel is only 56 pages, but they are gorgeous pages that will slow down your read as you investigate all the intricate details of the art. The characters are vile and vicious but entirely engaging. Aren't all good pirate stories full of such characters? The story played out in a cinematic fashion. Volume II is out this July with Volume III out in the fall. Dorison and Lauffray make an excellent collaboration. 2011, 56 pages.