Review by Frank Plowright

Thunder in the West is the second chapter of the five volume story introducing Jean-Michel Charlier and Jean Giraud’s Western hero Mike Blueberry. Fort Navajo explained how the army lieutenant came to be trapped in a fort where an Apache attack is imminent after a high ranking officer used the flag of peace talks as an opportunity to capture the natives present. Blueberry sees their best chance of survival being a mission to Tuscon to acquire some snakebite serum for the sick Colonel so he can replace the bigoted idiot commanding during his illness.

Fort Navajo featured interesting elements that have since become more commonplace in Westerns, but having established his cast and situation Charlier pays more attention to the plot here, making Thunder in the West a better book. Whereas he was previously part of an ensemble, Blueberry is almost the sole focus for much of this section, and he’s placed in a variety of dangerous situations in different locations. He’s already been established as a deadshot and in each case of trouble well plotted bravery, skill and ingenuity ensure Blueberry remains alive to continue his mission.

With a complete album under his belt Jean Giraud is a more confident artist. His page layouts have greater variety, he’s beginning to find a style and his action scenes are livelier. The big screen moment is four pages of Blueberry trapped in a town over-run with Apache and leaping from one trap to the next, eventually surrounded by fire. The storytelling is exceptional.

Charlier throws in surprises throughout, changing the focus, with the bigger picture being the possibility of an all-out Apache uprising as promises have been broken. This is a complete story, but with the larger threat still in the background events continue in Lone Eagle.