The famous animal created by Franquin in the pages of Spirou and Fantasio, returns with a script by Stephan Colman and drawings by Batem. Volume 31 was released on April 24 by Marsu Productions. This publishing house had been created by Franquin to remain the owner of the character.
No bowl
Mr. Xing Yùn living in China is the most unlucky man in the world. Trying by all means to get rid of this wound, he discovers that the Marsupilami's hair would help to divert the evil eye. He then decides to go to Palombia to find this mysterious animal and steal a tuft of hair. The bad luck of poor Xing Yùn is the subject of many pages where the reader smiles at all the accidents – not serious – that literally fall on him. It's fun but sometimes a bit heavy like the Bruce Lee Monastery passage.
A tribe of marsupilamis
It's always interesting to wonder how the writer is going to use a character who doesn't speak. Here, Colman chooses the option of parodying a wildlife documentary. Since the previous volume, it has been discovered that there are several species of marsupilamis depending on where they live in Palombia. All marsupilamis from different regions meet for a birth. Colman takes the opportunity here to deepen the particularities of each species such as the formidable production of methane gas of the Marsu-mole that will make the youngest laugh. Lifestyle habits are mischievously presented with invented Spanish terms: "muchos castagnèros". It is just a shame to repeat it a second time. The eldest of the tribe thinks he is near the end and the screenwriter then imagines a whole ceremonial.
Offbeat natives
We also discover the tribes of the indigenous peoples of Palombia who had to live together in a previous episode. Some have cell phones in their hair while others speak in verlan – ilhétrohouf, hém'déhèrh. These different stories are drawn by Batem. It has a typical style of humor drawing with round shapes for bodies and faces and bright colors. A sketch of the jungle at the end of the volume shows his work. He makes a pleasant drawing but the magic of Franquin is missing. However, he makes some pretty funny images like a finger on a map that gradually becomes a huge finger in the jungle.
Colman chooses to tell three stories in a single 52-page volume with little connection – an unlucky Chinese, ethnic conflicts in the village, various marsupilamis, and a failed death. This new volume continues the long history of Franquin's creation by gradually expanding the universe of the Palombian animal. This story will no doubt appeal to children.
