Éditions Dupuis has just published the third volume of the Secret Ministry, the hilarious series by Johan Sfar and Mathieu Sapin. Under the prism of humor, crazy conspiracy, the two stooges revisit the current world, ridicule it to imagine an alternative version. This third opus plunges us back into the French presidential campaign against a backdrop of Russian conspiracy and James Bondian revelations about the real activities of Alexandre Benalla. A real treat.
The Presidential Agency
It is the best kept state secret in the country. The real mission of the presidents of the French Republic begins at the end of their mandate. They join the formidable Secret Ministry whose mission is to protect the French people from terrestrial and extraterrestrial threats. This agency that is forbidden to talk about relies on a trio of experts who have already foiled the worst plots: Nicolas Sarkozy, François Hollande and Mathieu Sapin, journalist and friend of François Hollande. Our team is called to the rescue again because things are going badly. The presidential elections are approaching and the French people don't care. Exhausted by Covid, he seems to no longer trust his elected officials. But appearances are deceptive and our heroic team will unveil an odious plot while crossing the road of Elise Lucet, Eric Zemmour, Alexandre Benalla and Léa Salamé. 
The Secret Ministry: when The Bureau of Legends meets Les Guignols
Each volume of this excellent series is based on an extremely well-written script. The whole plot is indeed held, brilliantly served by a sense of detail, rhythm. If the work is meant to be humorous, it nevertheless keeps this desire for permanent coherence in the image of the series Y-a-t-il un cop. The Russian plot is absurd but treated with all the seriousness it deserves. Johan Sfar and Mathieu Sapin offer us a real suspense accentuated by their inimitable style. This side, first degree, will multiply the parodic, satirical dimension of their story. This one presents itself as the detailed account of a state secret and the underside of the presidential campaign. The authors will therefore reveal the true mission of Alexandre Benalla, the underside of the Bygmalion affair and the course of the presidential campaign. They let loose with delight having fun using the worst conspiracy theories to better highlight their incoherence while summoning pop culture figures: Terminator, Goldorak or Tolkien. And in this joyous chaos, our trio becomes the only hope of the republic. 
The theatre of politics
The authors of the secret ministry are tackling a task that is far from easy. Talk about politics and humorously reveal inconvenient truths. They lead it brilliantly by relying on their chiseled dialogue where ex-presidents exchange punchlines. "As far as the Socialist Party is concerned, if there was murder, there are many culprits. " says François Hollande. "Everyone knows that Le Pen received 8 million euros and Russian banks and nobody cares. Three weeks ago, Mélenchon declared that all this was the fault of the O.T.Has.N and the Americans," says Nicolas Sarkozy. The same Nicolas Sarkozy who is, throughout the album, obsessed with his literary career And the rest of the political class is not to be outdone. Eric Zemmour plans to move crack hill to the Latin Quarter to create a Calais jungle and win votes. Clémentine Autain says that "It's mathematical: since Macron won, in fact he lost". Marine Le Pen, on the night of her defeat, has never looked so happy. Or Christiane Taubira is greeted by two ex-detainees who tell her "Thanks to your reform of police custody, we left immediately (…) We can break leftists, we risk nothing." The authors strike loudly and according to these succulent sentences, worthy of Audiard, assert beautiful truths about political theater. 
The secret ministry, the Moscow sphincter: the media mad
The two authors are not content to tenderly mock politicians. They dedicate a good part of this album to "turn on" the media. It is first of all the character of Nicolas Sarkozy who opens hostilities by declaring pell-mell "Liberation you are crazy, they are Maoists, indigenists! it is the Temple of Wokism. Their leader is a former Mossad agent." And further"With my friend Bolloré, we are motivated. It's very important to take back control of Culture." When we know that the album was pre-published on the Libération website, we appreciate the freedom of tone of the heights. The Secret Ministry will also criticize the big stars of the mainstream media. Laure Adler, for example, is described as follows: "Since the death of Michael Jackson, no one has an ego as large as Laure Adler". Apolline de Malherbe is compared to a modern Mona Lisa. It is especially Elise Lucet who is severely scratched when she declares to stand in the presidential election and propose a radical program. She will suppress justice and become the only judge to tweet the convictions. It will multiply the fines that constitute an indirect tax tragically underemployed to hire more civil servants!! Adjectives are lacking to describe this third opus of the Secret Ministry. Inspired, irreverent, intelligent, this Moscow Sphincter transports his reader into a story as absurd as it is rich in reflections on the world of politics. Find on our website other reviews of Comics
