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A review by os_elliott
Corto Maltese: Under the Sign of Capricorn by Hugo Pratt
4.0
Corto Maltese by Hugo Pratt feels seminal and to anybody that has had the joy of exploring the pages of this comic it probably is treated as such, but somewhere along the line these books seem to have been forgotten by popular culture. Filled with strong, etched out linework and a wonderous classical adventure charm and even though art comes first and foremost in Pratt's tale, this swashbuckling charm is notable and infectious.
The only flaw with the work is a flaw with many pieces of classic adventure work, that being the sources of the exoticism of the story and some of the more regressive racial politics of the time, interestingly often displayed side-by-side with deconstruction of tropes and positive progressive messages, which makes the book feel simultaneously of an earlier era of adventure stories, of the politics of its time and of the politics of a future. Pratt presents a writer that is pitted between the exoticism of his tale and the progressiveness of his politics. It adds an element of unexpected complexity to this salty-dog adventure, which is often only noted for its (incredible) art.
The only flaw with the work is a flaw with many pieces of classic adventure work, that being the sources of the exoticism of the story and some of the more regressive racial politics of the time, interestingly often displayed side-by-side with deconstruction of tropes and positive progressive messages, which makes the book feel simultaneously of an earlier era of adventure stories, of the politics of its time and of the politics of a future. Pratt presents a writer that is pitted between the exoticism of his tale and the progressiveness of his politics. It adds an element of unexpected complexity to this salty-dog adventure, which is often only noted for its (incredible) art.