The Yellow "M"

2007 (English) 1956 (French)
★★★☆☆

This is the first book in the series that I purchased when I was in London, back in 2009. Glancing through the pages in the bookshop, I thought that The Yellow "M" would be an ideal souvenir, as the story was set in London and featured many of the places that I visited. It also proved to be an intriguing story, and my only regret at the time was that I did not purchase the other titles (The Mystery of the Great Pyramid) as a souvenir of my visit to Egypt!

The plot begins with a series of crimes taking place in London by a daring criminal who informs the press in advance of his crimes. He commits several daring robberies and leaves behind an "M" in a yellow circle as his signature. When the Imperial State Crown is stolen from the Tower of London, the Home Office assigns Captain Francis Blake to assist in the investigation and recovery. Blake in turn calls in his old friend and housemate, Professor Philip Mortimer, who together, plunge into what is considered by fans to be one of Jacob's best titles in the series.

The Mystery of the Great Pyramid (Pt. 1)

2007 (English) 1954 (French)
★★★★☆

Professor Mortimer is on holidays in Egypt, where he has a chance to indulge his interest in archaeology by helping with the translation of papyrus discovered on a mummy. The papyrus mentions the "Chamber of Horus", a fabled crypt that could contain priceless treasures. But it seems that Mortimer and his friends are not the only ones on the trail of this potential discovery - enter Colonel Olrik and the race to discover the mystery of the great pyramid.

Having been fortunate enough to have visited the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, I was very impressed with Jacob's extremely detailed rendering of the museum and its artefacts. Such attention to detail is characteristic of Jacob's works, and as a result his comics provide a fascinating snapshot of life in the 1950s and 60s. Other than a fresh coat of paint on the exterior, not much has appeared to have changed in the Egyptian Museum!

The Mystery of the Great Pyramid (Pt. 2)

2008 (English) 1955 (French)
★★★★☆

Continuing from Part 1, Professor Mortimer has called his friend Captain Blake to assist in dealing with Olrik and his gang of traffickers. En route to Cairo, Blake is shot and his body disappears. Vowing to avenge his friend, Mortimer sets out to be the first to find the legendary "Chamber of Horus" and in doing so, to draw Olrik out into the open. A fascinating journey deep within the Great Pyramid ensues.

Like much of Jacob's early works, the The Mystery of the Great Pyramid is verbose - sometimes hundreds of words to a page; a full size copy is a must! That aside, the story is quite fascinating and I soon loose myself in Egypt, exploring the pyramid alongside Mortimer.

The Francis Blake Affair

2008 (English) 1996 (French)
★★★★★

When Captain Blake dramatically reveals himself to be a double agent, Professor Mortimer is the only one convinced that his friend remains loyal to his country and profession. With the ensuing net drawing ever closer, Mortimer must try to outthink and outwit the pursuing MI5 agents, while finding and clearing Blake's name.

This was my first introduction to the new team of writers and artists (Jean Van Hamme and Ted Benoit respectively) and I give them credit for a great job in mimicking the look and feel of Jacob's works. Highly detailed renderings really bring the story to life, as does the fast moving, action packed adventure exploring Blake's world of counter espionage.

The Strange Encounter

2009 (English) 2001 (French)
★★★★★

Professor Mortimer heads to the United States to investigate the mysterious appearance of the body of one of his ancestors - a Scottish major who disappeared during the revolutionary war in 1777. Major Macquarrie apparently vanished in a beam of light, only to reappear almost 180 years later in similar circumstances. While investigating the case, Mortimer and his American colleagues are soon visited by mysterious men in black. From staying ahead of this peril to saving the world, this adventure has it all!

Another of Jean Van Hamme and Ted Benoit's creations, the Strange Encounter is a science fiction adventure that I found to be very enjoyable - one of the best in the series to date.

S.O.S. Meteors

2009 (English) 1959 (French)
★★★☆☆

To be reviewed...

The Affair of the Necklace

2010 (English) 1967 (French)
☆☆☆☆☆

To be reviewed...

The Voronov Plot

2010 (English) 2000 (French)
★★★★☆

To be reviewed...

The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent (Pt. 1)

2011 (English) 2003 (French)
★★★☆☆

To be reviewed...

The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent (Pt. 2)

2011 (English) 2004 (French)
★★☆☆☆

To be reviewed...

The Gondwana Shrine

2011 (English) 2008 (French)
★★★★☆

To be reviewed...

Atlantis Mystery

2012 (English) 1957 (French)
★☆☆☆☆

To be reviewed...

Curse of the 30 Pieces of Silver (Pt. 1)

2012 (English) 2009 (French)
★★★★☆

To be reviewed...

Curse of the 30 Pieces of Silver (Pt. 2)

2012 (English) 2010 (French)
★★★★☆

To be reviewed...

The Secret of the Swordfish (Pt. 1)

2013 (English) 1950 (French)
★★☆☆☆

To be reviewed...

The Secret of the Swordfish (Pt. 2)

2013 (English) 1953 (French)
★★☆☆☆

To be reviewed...

The Secret of the Swordfish (Pt. 3)

2013 (English) 1953 (French)
★★☆☆☆

To be reviewed...

The Oath of the Five Lords

2014 (English) 2012 (French)
★★★☆☆

To be reviewed...

The Time Trap

2014 (English) 1962 (French)
★★★☆☆

To be reviewed...

The Septimus Wave

2015 (English) 2013 (French)
★☆☆☆☆

To be reviewed...

Plutarch's Staff

2015 (English) 2015 (French)
★★★★☆

To be reviewed...

Professor Sató's Three Formulae (Pt. 1)

2016 (English) 1977 (French)
★★★☆☆

To be reviewed...

Professor Sató's Three Formulae (Pt. 2)

2016 (English) 1990 (French)
★★★☆☆

To be reviewed...

The Testament of William S.

2017 (English) 2016 (French)
★★★★★

To be reviewed...

The Valley of the Immortals (Pt. 1)

2019 (English) 2018 (French)
★★★☆☆

The first in a new two part adventure, the Valley of the Immortals is set immediately after the defeat of the Yellow Empire (see The Secret of the Swordfish). Professor Mortimer is recruited to help strengthen the defences of Hong Kong, the British colony that is being threatened by Mao's communist troops in their steady advance against the forces of Chiang Kai-shek. The conflict also provides an opportunity for a ruthless warlord with dreams of becoming emperor of China to further his plans, aided by the former Yellow Empire's military adviser, one colonel Olrik.

I had the opportunity to read this book just prior to visiting Hong Kong for myself. The details of the drawings are amazing as always, and I was able to recognise some of the buildings that still stand. The well researched and intriguing story keeps you turning the pages in anticipation of what happens next.

The Valley of the Immortals (Pt. 2)

2019 (English) 2018 (French)
★★☆☆☆

In this second part of the adventure, Mortimer is kidnapped and taken to the camp of General Li Hsi where he is reunited with a sick Nasir. His once chance to help Nasir sees him set out on a quest for a legendary pearl...

Unlike the first part of this adventure, I found the second part to be a bit too fanciful for me (think dragons, immortality etc.). While this is framed in such a way that you or Mortimer can not tell if this was reality or a dream, it still is falls short of credibility for me.

The call of the Moloch

2021 (English) 2020 (French)
★☆☆☆☆

As a followup to The Septimus Wave, Blake is tasked to solve the mystery behind the spaceship that was discovered buried under London. Joining forces with Mortimer, the duo make an unlikely alliance with Olrik to defeat the imminent threat that foreshadows not only the British Empire, but the world.

Just like the Septimus Wave, I found this storyline difficult to follow and not up to the standard that most of the series delivers. The artwork however is magnificent and beautifully captures in intricate detail mid-twentieth century London.