Space Pirate Captain Harlock #1:
- WRITER
- Jerome Alquié, Leiji Matsumoto
- Artist
- Jerome Alquié
- Cover Artist
- Derrick Chew, Jerome Alquié, Miguel Mercado, Leirix Li, Andie Tong, Kendrick Lim, Yanick Paquette
- Publisher
- Ablaze Publishing
- Price
- 3.99
- Release Date
- 2021-06-09
Leiji Matsumoto's original Space Pirate Captain Harlock series from 1977-1979 is one of the all-time classics of science fiction manga. Harlock and the pirate crew of the Arcadia have gone on to star in multiple anime adaptations, a 2014 manga reboot and a surprising number of Western comics. Jerome Alquié's Space Pirate Captain Harlock comic series, titled Capitaine Albator – Mémoires de l’Arcadia in its original French and published by ABLAZE Publishing in the US, is actually the third such Western Harlock comic, following another French version by Claude Moliterni in the '80s and an unlicensed American version from Eternity Comics in the '90s.
Space Pirate Captain Harlock #1 is packed with action and information; it's actually two chapters plus a prologue. Other than the obvious difference of being in full color, the aspect that reads the most different from a typical manga is the complexity of the panel layouts. Pages will have 11, 12, even 13 panels of different sizes, often heavy with dialogue, fitting together like elaborate puzzle pieces or overlapping each other. It's put together impressively well considering just how much is going on.
While the layouts and colors are firmly in the Western comics mode, the character design remains faithful to the manga source material. Alquié captures the essence of Matsumoto's style, with its mix of debonair leads and cartoony comic relief side characters. Reading the book doesn't feel like a manga, but it doesn't feel as if the material has been overly Westernized either; if anything, it's like watching a colorful anime translated to the page.
The prologue provides the necessary background for Harlock fans to situate where the comic is taking place in the franchise's timeline while giving newcomers enough info so they won't be totally lost. Familiarity with the characters definitely helps for maximum involvement, but the basics are clear: Harlock's an honorable outlaw, the Mazon are aliens threatening Earth and everyone in Harlock's crew has some sort of personal issue with Earth's corrupt government. Chapter 1 follows Harlock on a mission to visit his friend's daughter Mayu on Earth, while Chapter 2 appears to be setting up this series' main conflict with the awakening of a powerful Mazon.
One quibble with ABLAZE's localization efforts: the translated sound effects stick out from the pages like a sore thumb. The downside of having such detailed full-color art is that Photoshop additions stand out all the more. That minor issue aside, it's great to have this book available in English.
Space Pirate Captain Harlock #1 will be on sale from ABLAZE Publishing on June 9.