Review by Frank Plowright

There’s a smart, but confusing start to Banana Sioule as Michaël Sanlaville begins with twenty pages of a sporting contest obviously worthy of considerable attention, but which makes absolutely no sense. Sanlaville draws it manga style, complete with dramatic action shots and speed lines, yet beyond it taking place in shore water there’s no grasping what’s going on until Sanlaville interrupts with a full page text explanation. It’s an internationally televised game where procedures and tactics change according to a location, the composition of the ball and the duration, all of which are randomly selected. Weapons are also permitted. That settled, the spotlight swivels to a farming community where Helena’s father is lecturing her about her future, which he feels is away from the farm, her enthusiasm notwithstanding.

Because Helena is shown as adaptable, athletic and courageous, joining the dots to where Sanlaville is heading hardly takes great deductive skills, and when we see Helena in a pick up game of sioule she excels. It’s where she first learns of the entrance trials to the elite sioule college.

If the plot takes a largely predictable path, although one younger teenage readers may not find as obvious, the art delivers it with emotion and verve. Helena is a likeable personality from the beginning, her enthusiasm for life shining through every panel, and she’s surrounded with a distinctive supporting cast. Sanlaville’s game scenes are suitably dynamic, a sequence taking place in darkness standing out, yet he’s also capable of giving the quiet moments necessary gravitas.

Helena ends with a stunning revelation, setting up what follows compellingly. Banana Sioule occupies three volumes to date in France, so there’s plenty more action to look forward to should this first translation prove a success. Everything is there for it to be a massive hit for the young adult market.