Jerome K Jerome Bloche - Aina: an okay comic with a confusing name...


Another comic produced through Europe Comics, creator Alain Dodier’s Aina is a little confusing for a new reader.. but not bad confusing... Perspective based on a review copy supplied by the publisher

Aina is one issue in an ongoing series about Jerome K. Jerome Bloche, detective. Yes he has the name Jerome twice

In this graphic novel, Bloche and friends are searching for a woman named Aina who escapes an SUV street side and is chased by a bizarre cast of characters claiming to be her employer/bodyguard/fiance. Aina speaks no English (or French as this is a translated comic). Aina is experiencing some health issues and the people searching for her are just exasperating her difficulties. Bloche must determine the real story that is driving Aina’s problems and keep her safe.

Having no prior experience with him, I felt Bloche was a bit of a white bread sandwich. He is a detective and mooches rides off his friends. He wears a goofy detective ‘costume’ (hat, trench coat, and white sneakers) which make him feel a bit less capable of the job than I am sure he is intended

To be 100% upfront, I spent the first quarter if the book thinking Bloche was the author’s name and that this goofy detective guy was a secondary character. I was enthusiastic for Padre Arthur, the fisticuffs priest who fights off henchman Pacifico and takes Aina in from the cold. Through the novel, Padre Arthur shows his face on 31 pages, where JKJ Bloche shows his mug on 32. Arguably, this could be called ‘Padre Arthur: Aina’

Regardless, a nice Archie-esque storyline with pleasing characters and artistry to match!

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Disclosure - This review is based off a copy of the media supplied by the Publisher/Author for review purposes.







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