Review by Karl Verhoven
The historical drama has a long and successful tradition in European comics, yet it’s not a genre to have gained much traction in English, either via an original series or through translations of those European works. Cinebook, though have been dipping their toes in the water (see recommendations) and Highlands is a stirring 18th century adventure complete in two parts, set in Scotland where the relatively recent union with England hasn’t pleased all parties. Tensions abound, and Philippe Aymond exploits them in what for most readers will be relatively obscure history.
Over the opening pages Aymond needs to supply a large amount of background information in multiple packed word balloons. “Since a majority of Grants and Campbells began to support the Acts of Union”, explains the Duke of Plaxton to his son, who knows it anyway, “the legitimacy of the House of Hanover can no longer be disputed”. Aymond appears desperate to convey his credentials, peppering the dialogue with Scottish phrases requiring footnote explanations. If it holds up, his postulation that haggis has its origins in a French dish will cause a shudder of outrage throughout Scotland. Once past flaunting his research during the set-up, Aymond supplies an action scene cementing the main cast and ensuring Joseph Callander is employed by the Duke of Plaxton as his court painter.
Aymond’s research extends beyond the timeless and well presented exotic scenery to detailed period fixtures, fittings and techniques, among which is how painters of the era laid out their portraits. Distinction is drawn between the Georgian fashions imported from England and traditional Scottish finery, at the time increasingly associated with rebellion, and although dealing with a painter, Aymond’s work is more illustrative.
While the density of explanations in the opening pages is off-putting, stick with The Portrait of Amelia, as Aymond will hook you with his blend of history and subterfuge. Callander is the central figure, recently returned from Naples to Scotland, and improving his painting isn’t the only skill he’s acquired, as he creatively deals with a threat. The same applies to Aymond after a long career in comics, during which he’s picked up a trick or two. He points toward a predictable path, then completely subverts expectation, which will have readers panting for the conclusion in The Survivors of Blackwater.
