Authors: by Frédéric Zumbiehl and Patrice Buendia; Illustrated by Olivier Jolivet
Age: 12 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
ISBN: 9781800441729
In Stock £8.99 inc. VAT
https://www.cinebook.co.uk/wings-time-time-pioneers-p-4587.html
2023, Florida. Duncan Ainsworth, a former USAF pilot going through a rough patch, is recruited by Blek Industries to test a new, highly experimental hypersonic flight system. The test flights are to be conducted with Lucie Delosnier, the French scientist in charge of the system and a thorn in his side, as his copilot. Unfortunately, early in the test phase, they lose control of the airplane and go through a strange zone of turbulence only to re-emerge in the skies of war-torn France in … 1917!
Authors: by Frédéric Zumbiehl and Patrice Buendia; Illustrated by Olivier Jolivet
Age: 12 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
ISBN: 9781800441743
£8.99 inc. VAT
https://www.cinebook.co.uk/wings-time-time-confrontation-p-4588.html
Duncan and Lucie, marooned in 1917, are determined to return to their own time. While Lucie poses as her own great-great-aunt and attempts to find out what happened to them, Dunc joins the Lafayette Squadron, a unit of American volunteers, in hope of finding a plane suited to using the experimental device that pulled them into the past. But this is the time of the Red Baron, and the skies of France are deadly to Allied pilots …
The Final Countdown with Kirk Douglas (1980) and Biggles with Neil Dickson in 1986 -one could go on The point is that people from the future finding themselves lost in the past is nothing new. It is how you write and present the story. I've noted before how, in a discussion with other writers, it was concluded that there are -at a stretch- maybe 10 scenarios you can draw on and when you look at comics you see them used time and again. UK weekly comics had their fair share of voluntary and involuntary time travellers (The Legend Testers for one -Robot Archie for another). My own Shafts of Time was a rather action filled story from a quiet start to conclusion.
Initially on seeing the cover I had that shiver of boredom. However, if that happens I put a book down and skip through it later looking at the art and then put it down again before reading it. In this case the start of the story and how it develops is very much like a TV show or movie. You can define the characters and then start seeing if they act as you expect. For a reader, however, it is very likely a pick up and read as the story unfolds. And in the case of selling books it is the reader that matters.
Very long winded. I may need to sleep more than 4 hours a day.
The build up to the event that casts our duo into time is well done and the characterisation is good. What happens when they get to 1917 is also handled well. I do love the local couple assuming the pilots are "Martians" -if you've studied history of aviation you'll know why that made me laugh out loud!
How do you hide that you are unwilling time travellers to normal every day folk when that secret could well lead to more than hostile parties becoming interested? And how do you try to find a way back (or forwards or sideways) to your own period? That was the fun in this story (and no spoilers).
The art is what will draw the reader in so how was that? Honestly, Cinebook only seems to have the best artists and in this case everything you want is here. The modern setting and technology and the contrasting 1917 World War One era easily blend together which is good. Many think it is best to draw dramatic modern tech then over emphasise the "primitive" older time period. It's jarring which can be a good effect but somewhat lead-booted. Here the most dramatic time breaker is what pushes the duo into the past. Other than that it all seems like a gentle change-over (except for the farmer's barn) with the sudden realisation of the characters that things have gone wrong.
The scenes and backgrounds are lovingly detailed and the change of clothes and uniforms likewise. Of course, the aircraft fans out there - and there are a LOT of people out there specialising in collecting comics with an aircraft theme- are going to want to know whether the depiction of modern and vintage are well depicted. Yes. I mean, think about it; a series titled The Wings of Time had better be able to depict aircraft accurately -we aren't sat in a Primary school class room drawing planes fighting each other.
I ramble.
The next chapter in this story will see the duo head into the future. Whether the right or wrong future you'll have to wait and see. Gon -make a guess!
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