Agatha Christie - Murder on the Orient Express - a graphic novel review

Well, I do not really need to tell anyone that this is perhaps the best-known story of the world's most famous detective writer Agatha Christie. Those who do not know the original book know the films that are made from this story. The youngsters among us may know the video game that was released in 2006.

Scenarist François Rivière and draftsman Jean-Fançois Miniac, aka Solidor, made this comic book in 1995. Rivière, who has been making comics scenarios since 1977, understands how to do his job. He knows the reader flawlessly leading to the denouement of the story, one after another suspect appears to the scene. Since I read the original book in my youth, it is too long to judge whether Rivière stays true to the book. However, I have seen the 1974 film several times and have watched the 2010 film for this review for a second time. Although I enjoyed the 1974 movie, with an all star cast, I was disappointed in Albert Finney as Poirot. I found him too artificial because he had so much makeup and he forced his voice to make it sound like a fat mans voice. However, I especially enjoyed Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Wendy Hiller, John Gielgud and Vanessa Redgrave, who have all set exceptional performances. I wonder if Rivière saw this movie. It could at least help him to shorten the story. Because 46 pages are very little to be able to translate the book into a comic.
As I said, 2010 was also filmed in the television series, Agatha Christie's Poirot 'with the fantastic David Suchet in the role of Poirot. What I like about this filming is that Poirot's character is so well developed. This I miss a bit in this comic, but in view of the limited number of pages I realize that there is no room for it. In the 2010 filming, we will see more about what happend before everybody got on the train. We see how a man unmasked by Poirot commits suicide and at the end we see Poirot struggling with the question of whether he should follow the law or his faith. These are the details that can perfect the story and give it depth.

I really like the realistic drawings of Miniac. It's a pity that Miniac has not made that many comics because he is clearly born to draw comics.

This series, Detective Strips introduces' is definitely a promising series. Unfortunately, it has remained five strips, that’s a pity.
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Tags and links
Detective
Murder on the Orient Express on Amazone
Jean-François Miniac wikipedia