Molly West is a title apart in the plethora of western comic book production. Charlot and Fourquemin propose to follow a woman on the slopes of the Wild West. Grab your revolvers and follow us in this discovery of an unprecedented part of the American legend.
Visit of a defeated region
The guns of the Civil War have just fallen silent but a new conflict is looming with the arrival of Molly West in Texas. Coming from the victorious states of the North, this new teacher is not welcome in the South. When she arrives, she discovers a man hanged because this local has made the mistake of joining the army of the North. Coming to bring knowledge through reading, Molly is surprised by the clash of cultures. We are in the same country, but five years of war have reinforced differences and fuelled animosities. Trust has disappeared in the area and Molly is naïve to believe that she is hired to bring books… Molly West has two disabilities: she is from the North and she is a woman. While Texans find Molly pretentious, the women make it clear to her that they would refuse to stoop to making rounds to learn to read. The Northerner will indeed discover the justice of the South and the techniques of hanging. Molly learns to manage without men because only Artie the young orphan accompanies her. A complicity is born between them. While Molly wants to teach him to read, Artie serves as a guide to adopt local best practices. She needs it because a simple spider scares her. For Artie, we do not help a man in the forest but we attack him by surprise. Coming on foot, this strange can only want to steal your horse.
A historical comedy
Le diable en Jupons is the first book in this series by writer Philippe Charlot and artist Xavier Fourquemin. Molly West respects the codes of the western with a chase and a treasure hunt. Without ever making it a moral lesson, the screenwriter builds an ode to diversity and a critique of mass conformism. All these adventures are told with humor. Xavier Fourquemin's rounded style is a perfect counterpoint to the very harsh words of the locals. We can also think of Big Girls by Jason Howard for these differences and the shape of the faces. Molly West makes us smile but the book also provides a lot of historical information. 1865 marked not only the military defeat of the American South but also the beginning of a lasting economic crisis. The plantation economy was totally challenged with the abolition of slavery and African-Americans tried to take advantage of the disorganization to flee en masse to the North. Humor and sweetness coexist with the denunciation of violence and racism. While the first part shows the shortcomings of the Wild West, the rest describes the freedom of this border area. Outsiders can create a space of independence for themselves. Published by Vents d'Ouest, Molly West begins with the arrival of a white dove in the middle of the wild beasts but the young woman is much less naïve at the end of the volume. This first volume is therefore a great success by the scenario of Philippe Charlot proposing a trio of surprising characters and the simple but very effective drawings of Xavier Fourquemin. It is probably not a very safe trip but the reader is very keen to follow Molly West in the continuation of her adventures.
