Madame Livingstone: Congo, The First World War written by Christophe Cassiau-Haurie, illustrated by Barly Baruti. Translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger. Catalyst Press, 2021. 9781946395474. 132pp. Oversized.
“Lake Tanganyika, Congo in the year 1915. Two vastly different men in a war that is not theirs. Assigned a virtually impossible mission: sink the German battleship, the Graf von Gotzen.” (back jacket copy)
Those men are pilot Gaston Mercier, of the Belgian army, and his guide, rumored to be the mixed-race, kilt-wearing son of David Livingstone. (His nickname “Madame Livingstone” is one used to tease/harass him.)
I don’t go in much for historical stories, and even less for historical French comics — the art and storytelling style don’t often appeal to me, but this is a standout. The story is compelling, but it was Congo-born artist Baruti’s illustrations, from the beautiful nature scenes to the battles and the characters; everything wowed me. Kudos to Catalyst for publishing it in what is, in the US at least, an oversized format.
