Written by Lupano
Art by Cauuet
Published by Europe Comics
Volumr One of The Old Geezers offers the most fun I’ve had with a comic in ages. Written by Wilfrid Lupano and drawn and colored by Paul Cauuet, The Old Geezers comes here translated from the French with the translation credited to one Montana Kane.
A lot of times, the translation of a European graphic novel is its downfall, but here, it seems near perfect. What resonates most throughout every page of this delightful book is the crisp dialogue of the characters.
And such interesting characters they are, too! Our protagonists are three retired seniors and one’s very pregnant granddaughter.
The story begins on the day of a memorial service for the late wife of one of the men, a beloved figure to all and sundry.
Unfortunately, too beloved, as she has left her widower husband a sealed letter revealing a hitherto unsuspected youthful affair with their former boss, his longtime nemesis as a union leader. In a fit of retro-passion, he grabs a gun and heads off to Italy bent on seeking revenge, with his two friends and his granddaughter following behind once they figure out what happened. More surprises will await them all.
Ostensibly a serious and well-paced story, there is also a fair amount of humor in The Old Geezers, much of which is presented in the dialogue. There’s a certain amount of nostalgia invoked throughout and even though the reader has just met all the characters, so much of their reaction and relationships is relatable as we’ve all either had older relatives so like them in many ways or, as with myself, actually AM an old geezer at this point.
The art wonderfully projects the difference between youth and aged and uses exaggeration to play up the characterizations. Once again some genius use of coloring by the artist subtly accents the feel of night, the feel of age, the feel of exertion, the feel of European travel, etc.
The story is more or less complete in itself, although with some loose ends left dangling. The book’s subtitle, “1. Alive and Still Kicking,” seems to promise more to come. I, for one, would love to spend some more quality time with The Old Geezers.
Booksteve recommends.
