From Eroica with Love, v4
May. 18th, 2011 10:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cyphomandraThis series has a cheerfully enthusiastic approach to breaking the fourth wall; at the start of the third volume, there's a wordless sequence in which Klaus' alarm goes off, he gets up, gets out of bed, walks into the bathroom, starts unbuttoning his pyjama top - and then glares out of the final panel at the viewers with a look of annoyed disdain, and the next panel is a door slamming, and sounds of what I think are showering ("za", "go-shi" and "pi-cha", if that helps). I am also fond of the bit in which James attempts to cheer up the Earl by pointing out that he is the only character whose name appears in the title.
Anyway. In the fourth volume, Eroica steals the Pope (a mostly sleeping and surprisingly portable John Paul II), which while admirable in scope is an achievement that actually does get him into quite a bit of trouble.
In addition to all the actions of the actual villains, Klaus pushes him into the Tiber, punches him in the face, puts a gun to his head, and kicks him out of a plane ("Almost forgot this," he says, handing over a parachute), and in some ways Eroica is on the back foot through most of this storyline, despite getting to participate in high-speed chases and set-ups. Klaus doesn't even cooperate in Eroica's medieval themed fantasies. Not that Klaus necessarily comes across as much more superior - there's a bit where he's desperately trying to place the nun who's talking to him (an obviously disguised Eroica) but, by and large, he seems more confident in himself. Which leads to a battle of wits with his director, again where Klaus appears to be holding his own - and then he gets sent to Alaska.
The plot bits in Rome again remind me heavily of Dunnett, while the eavesdropping by James and Eroica on the director and Klaus' conversation actually reminds me of Banana Fish, with the intertwining of different characters' storylines in unexpected fashions. The trip to Alaska itself has a period detail that actually worked less well for me - James hires Concorde, in a fit of extravagance, which is ideal for the characters at the time, but in hindsight Concorde has a whole lot of extra associations now that make it not just a luxury item. The Alaska trip, again, is an entertaining set-up for further developments, and this is definitely settling into its stride as a narrative.
Anyway. In the fourth volume, Eroica steals the Pope (a mostly sleeping and surprisingly portable John Paul II), which while admirable in scope is an achievement that actually does get him into quite a bit of trouble.
In addition to all the actions of the actual villains, Klaus pushes him into the Tiber, punches him in the face, puts a gun to his head, and kicks him out of a plane ("Almost forgot this," he says, handing over a parachute), and in some ways Eroica is on the back foot through most of this storyline, despite getting to participate in high-speed chases and set-ups. Klaus doesn't even cooperate in Eroica's medieval themed fantasies. Not that Klaus necessarily comes across as much more superior - there's a bit where he's desperately trying to place the nun who's talking to him (an obviously disguised Eroica) but, by and large, he seems more confident in himself. Which leads to a battle of wits with his director, again where Klaus appears to be holding his own - and then he gets sent to Alaska.
The plot bits in Rome again remind me heavily of Dunnett, while the eavesdropping by James and Eroica on the director and Klaus' conversation actually reminds me of Banana Fish, with the intertwining of different characters' storylines in unexpected fashions. The trip to Alaska itself has a period detail that actually worked less well for me - James hires Concorde, in a fit of extravagance, which is ideal for the characters at the time, but in hindsight Concorde has a whole lot of extra associations now that make it not just a luxury item. The Alaska trip, again, is an entertaining set-up for further developments, and this is definitely settling into its stride as a narrative.
