Crogan's March

by Chris Schweizer

I love these books.  Schweizer is writing and drawing a lengthy series of graphic novels set in different historical periods, featuring the men (strangely, none of the books will be about women) of the Crogan family, a long line of screw-ups who have somehow found themselves involved in military matters throughout history.

This book is about Peter Crogan, a member of the French Foreign Legion, assigned to Northern Africa in 1912.  The Legionnaires were mostly men that were running away from their lives, for a five-year term, and were looked down upon by regular army and their own officers alike.

Crogan is nearing the end of his service, at a period where the French were in almost constant conflict with indigenous Taureg.  During a march to a fort somewhere in the desert, Crogan's column is attacked, but they are able to repel their attackers.  Later, when after they arrive at their fort, they make plans to track down the interlopers, but are again attacked instead.

There is plenty of action of the usual war story type.  There are humorous soldiers, blundering, blow-hardish Captains, wise long-suffering Sergeants, and bravery in the face of insurmountable odds.  There is, however, also an intelligent and realistic sub-text about the attitudes of colonial empires, and the people who serve them.  The locals are given a voice and some sympathy, but nothing is ever treated in a heavy-handed way (except perhaps the modern-day framing sequence).  This is an enlightened view of history, which I can appreciate for its attention to detail and context, which never gets in the way of telling a good story.

Schweizer's art is not the type of cartooning I usually enjoy, but his writing is so good that it doesn't get on my nerves at all.  I can't wait for the next book, Crogan's Loyalty, to be published.

Crogan's Vengeance

by Chris Schweizer

Despite having read a number of positive reviews for this book (and the subsequent entry in the series), I resisted reading this for a while because at first glance, Schweizer is the type of cartoonist whose art I don't usually find myself attracted to.

Having read this now, I can safely say this has become yet another example of how I don't always have very good instincts when it comes to picking my comics, because this book is very cool.  The story is all about 'Catfoot' Crogan, a sailor who becomes a pirate when the vessel he's sailing on, under the command of an unfair and cruel captain, is taken over by pirates. 

Catfoot has three talents.  He's fleet-footed, strategically gifted, and morally correct.  Some of these talents land him in hot water with his fellow pirates, such as Mr. D'Or, a massive and cruel man with great ambition.

This story is a lot of fun to read, as Schweizer keeps the pace moving quickly, and his art, which seems overly thick and crowded by his gigantic letters, grew on me.  This is the first in a series which is going to check in with Catfoot's various descendants, who, according to the family tree included in this book, have had a variety of interesting professions, almost all of which have involved weaponry.  Recommended.