The Rainbow Orchid: Great review in "The Observer" (UK)

Garen Ewing's three volume epic The Rainbow Orchid (first story in The Adventures of Julius Chancer), recently drew to its close, and the Sunday paper The Observer carries a very positive review of the series in both its print and online versions.

Well worth a read, and if you haven't got copies of the books yourself, why not pop over to Garen's site and order some?

I have to say, I heartily agree. The first two volumes (I'm saving the third one to read on holiday) are excellent. Garen is really nice as well, having met him twice (and had all three books autographed with sketches to boot!) at the Bristol Comic Convention. For our European counterparts, he said the series was being published in the Netherlands and he was working on getting it printed in France as well!

My reviews of the first two books (I'm about to begin the last one).

"The Rainbow Orchid: Part One" promises a grand adventure in the 'ligne claire' (clear line) art style reminiscent of Hergé's "Tintin" and Edgar P. Jacobs "Blake and Mortimer".

Garen Ewing's attention to detail (the story is set in the silent movies era) is to be applauded. The artwork starts off a little rough but it quickly improves. People in motion don't quite seem to come alive on the page, but of the many comics I've read, only Hergé seems to accomplish this feat. Several times characters and vehicles seem to be floating in their frames, which is disconcerting (adding shadows would've grounded them). Characters take time getting used to but they grow on the reader. The story here is slow-burning and lighthearted.

At times the writing is a little clunky but it's still better than Edgar P. Jacobs' efforts in his "Blake and Mortimer" adventures. As this book is the first part in a three part story, not a whole lot happens but it sets the stage for future volumes. There are nods to the Hergé's boy reporter but Ewing has managed to create something purely his own.

Don't go in expecting "Tintin" because it's not, it's very British. Overall, "The Rainbow Orchid: Part One" is good but not great. 7/10

"The Rainbow Orchid: Part Two" promises a grand adventure in the 'ligne claire' (clear line) art style reminiscent of Hergé's "Tintin" and Edgar P. Jacobs "Blake and Mortimer" and it delivers.

Garen Ewing's attention to detail is once again on display here. The artwork is consistently great, the story is well-written and has depth. Its tone grows increasingly darker as the adventure kicks into high-gear. This book is set in India but it avoids the genre cliches associated with the country. Once again, there are many nods to Hergé's "Tintin".

Overall, "The Rainbow Orchid: Part Two" is a marked improvement on the first volume. A great read. 8/10