Dear ComiRades,
Those who are blessed with Sharp Memory can recall that the Last Muthu Comics No. 309 was On Sale from the 1st week of July 2008 (சித்திரமும் கொல்லுதடி) Featuring Nick Raider (C.I.D ராபின் in Muthu Comics). So, after 105 Days, when yours Truly received Issue No 310, the feeling was ecstatic; The Reason being that the flag-Bearer of Tamil Comics (M/s Prakash Publishers) is Alive & kicking. Yours truly received this issue a Day After Diwali (28th October 2008), contrary to many peoples belief that Yours Truly gets the Books in Advance when compared to other subscribers.
Meanwhile, My Best Friend & Fellow ComiRade Mr Rafiq has updated on the same Book with almost all the data that i wanted to share with other ComiRades.Kudos to Him. There was a Comment made by MuthuFan on the post whereby he provided the links to the English Versions of the Martin Mystery. Pity on Yours Truly who was Searching for the originals to compare for the last one week. As Rafiq has updated on Almost everything, Am moving on to the Review part of the story.
For those who came in Late, Martin Mystery is The Most Popular Comic Character Created by Alfredo Castelli in Association With Sergio Bonneli. Each story is in fact rich of news and historical,geographical, anthropological, sociological curiosities: the culture enters Bonelli's comic strip, in its widest meaning. Because of his characteristics, the series has earned a believer and attentive public.
Martin Mystery is graduate in anthropology, he has then achieved numerous other specializations (archaeology, history of the art, cybernetics). He's then shod in small culture and he likes to surprise his interlocutors with the "omniscience." But he is not at all a pedantic and arrogant academic: rich of humour and of auto-irony, he likes to joke about his own defects and to tease himself good-naturedly. He has lived for a period in a Tibetan monastery, where he has learned many esoteric secrets and where he has earned the mystical "third eye". His studies and his searches cross official streets that science usually snobs and derides.
As per the Comic-Chronology, Martin Mystery has a Date of Birth (26th June 1942) and his stories were published from 1982 when he was 40 Years Young. He must be 66 Years Young Now. For all those who ask the question that how come an Aged man can still continue to don the role of a Hero, there are 2 possible answers:
(1) For mysterious physiological reasons, comic strip characters - lucky, aren't they - grow old much more slowly than in the real world, and Good Old Uncle Marty is no exception to this rule. For instance, he didn't begin to wear reading glasses until he was already way over fifty, whereas most people with ordinary good sight become long-sighted at about forty.
(2) In the story Affari di Famiglia Martin received a gift from his long-lived uncle Paul: it was an Indian potion that slows the effects of ageing. Evidently, he's beginning to use it.
Martin Mystery lives in Number 3/a, Washington Mews, NewYork with Java (A Muscular Neanderthal Of the Different Time) and Diana (Martin's Girlfriend). Castelli Believes that They Got married in Dec 1995. Martin Deals with the Most Unusual cases, so to say. For the Indian Readers, He has appeared only in Muthu Comics / Lion Comics (Of M/s Prakash Publishers) in Tamil Language. This happens to be Martin's 6th Story that got published from this publication. And for some strange reason, all the stories that have been published are the only ones which were officially translated in English by Dark Horse Comics. For the Complete List, Click Here.
Kindly Note that the story happens in April 1992 when the Barcelona Olympics fever was so high. To catch it with the "Most-Happening-Theme-Currently" concept followed by Castelli, Martin Travels to Barcelona to solve a Mystery.
This is The story Unfolds: Way back in 1892, when Berenger Sourière (Changed in Tamil As Father François), the parish priest in the village of Rennes le Château, makes an enigmatic discovery inside a stone altar while altering the Church. Flabbergasted by the discovery, he soon embarks a Journey which paves way for the visit of Martin to Barcelona after 100 Years.
Martin Mystery's house is undergoing renovation and Martin is getting in the way. In order to get Martin out of the way, his companions Java and Diana fake a document which hints at a mystery regarding the famous Spanish church, the Sagrada Familia designed by Antoni Gaudi. Little do they know, there is more mystery surrounding the Sagrada Familia than they know and what Martin discovers there may alter the course of history! Martin celebrates the tenth year of the series with an epic adventure that relates to the change in Design by Antoni Gaudi and what it has to do with Mary Magdalene. This Story was Re-Printed in Tutto Martin Mystery in May 1999, A La Comics Classics. This was Published in Dark Horse Comics in Aug 1999.
The best part on Martin Mystery's stories are that they are always bonded with the Historical Facts and hence it makes them Most Interesting for the readers, since you will always learn something from these stories; Like Yours Truly who came to know about Antoni Gaudi and what kind of an Architect he was. The most sincere Advice from Yours truly will be to read this story twice, without any hurry (As suggested by The Editor Himself).
Have a Look at the Martin Mystery Issue No 121-April 1992 Italy Cover and the corresponding cover Martin Mystery Issue No 6 - August 1999 - Dark Horse - English Cover wherein Dark Horse has used the cover (drawn by Alessandrini) of the "Analytical Index" of Martin, published by Glamour in 1992, with some retouches (and, above all, adding the Sagrada Familia in the Back Ground).
Brand: Muthu Comics (Prakash Publishers,Tamil Nadu, India).
Title: Ponnil Oru Pinam (பொன்னில் ஒரு பிணம்).
Cover Design: Hard Cover, Laminated.
Serial Number: No. 310, 6th Story of Martin Mystery to Appear in Tamil.
On Sale: 28th Oct 2008 Onwards
Total No. of Pages: 100 (Story 94 Pages), Black & White.
Price: Priceless for Comic Fans; For others, INR 10/-
Original Script: Alfredo Castelli
Original Artwork: Giancarlo Alessandrini.
Now that the Story Part is Over, i want t start something new for all the New Comics that we receive. And This will be done in the most democratic way: Polls. Yes, starting from this review, I request all the ComiRades to Review the Comics as per the following parameters:
Based on these parameters, Kindly Do the polling and kindly let us know the results of it. I Know it is really tough for all of us to get into this; However, As The Famous Poet J.Alexander A.K.A Share Hunter Says, எவ்வளவோ செஞ்சிட்டோம்; இத செய்ய மாட்டோமா? (We Have Done Many Things - Can't we Do This?).
Well, that's all for the time being. As usual, post your comments in the comments section. For those who want to Pen their thoughts in Tamil, Kindly Use the Option Provided in the Widgets Section, Just above the followers List in the Side Bar. The next Old Review Post will be on the 4th issue of James Bond Comics.
Thanks & Regards,
King Viswa.
Note: To know more about Antonio Gaudi, Am suggesting a Website:
https://www.artsy.net/artist/antoni-gaudi
This page provides visitors with Gaudi's bio, some of his works, exclusive articles, and up-to-date Gaudi exhibition listings.
The page also includes related artists and categories, allowing viewers to discover art beyond Gaudi page.
P.S: From Now Onwards, TCU will Update On what Exactly Happening in Relation to The Comics Characters That we Have Read / Known / Enjoyed. To Start with, This Week The 1999 Movie Asterix & Obelix Vs Caesar will Be Shown in Tamil Language on RAJ TV (a Tamil Satellite Channel). The details are given in the Sidebar Widget. Have a Look into that as well.
P.S 2: Have a Look at the Next issue announcement from Muthu Comics. Detective Julian is Coming Back after a Very Very Long Gap. Die Hard Rani Comics Fans May Re-Collect Meeting this Gentleman Already in Rani Comics in மயக்க ஊசி, ஜனாதிபதி கொலை, கொலைகார கேப்டன் stories.
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