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Irenicus · 2012-01-25, 00:09

The French are big fans of manga and anime, have a lively comic scene, and sometimes, very occasionally, some of their most interesting works get translated into English.

Such as Freaks' Squeele!

TVTropes link

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVTropes description

Freaks' Squeele is an ongoing French series of comic books created by Florent Maudoux and published by Ankama. The series is notable for its graphic style, mixing manga, American comics and classic Franco-Belgian comics style.

The story follows the adventures of three students in a university for Heroes (the F.E.A.H.), specializing in Bad Guys and Villains. It is fair to say they may not be the brightest element of the classes. The team consists of Chance, an adorable clumsy demon-girl; Ombre de Loup (Wolfshade), a big-hearted lycanthrop stuck in his animal form, and Xiong Mao, who got no superpower whatsoever apart from being a relentless worker.

Expect slices of college life, sadistic professors and epic brawls.

Superhero school parody with a lot of Japanese influence, it's really a lot of fun with charming characters, exciting adventures, awesome art, and a fun plot. I really can't find anything to dislike, and a whole lot to love.

The parodies and references are plenty -- Harry Potter, Berserk, Dr. Zoidberg, Chinese wuxia, a tiny bit of Citizen Kane, and the author even has a sketch of Chance cosplaying as Lum! (it fits). But the story, the comedy, and the characters really stand out by themselves.

English scanlations just finished volume 2, at an exciting cliffhanger; the current release in France is volume 4. Hopefully official translations will exist someday.

P.S. Chance is adorable. ^___^

Xion Valkyrie · 2012-01-25, 05:53

I'm a big fan of French manga (I also love Silas/Wake), but I don't think there's a lot of english scanlations for them. French manga seems to be far more similar to Japanese manga than American comics (at least out of the ones I've read).

Anyways, read the first 2 chapters and fell in love immediately. I think it references the magical boarding school genre (ie, Harry Potter) far more heavily than super heroes though. Generally in superhero school settings, there's not much emphasis on the school as much as fighting villains with the school as a backdrop. Here, the emphasis is still very much on the classes they're taking and the projects they're working on, although with the kind of magical flare like in Harry Potter.

frubam · 2012-01-25, 18:28

Wow, this is pretty enjoyable =03. The art is quite the nice change of pace from anime-style drawings, and the story is VERY FUN. I love these kinds of stories that have a variety of distinct characters, each with unique or unusual characteristics.

I just got through reading chapter 4, and the whole strip-bath test thing was hilarious (^,^)! Kinda reminded me of the summon battles of Baka Test, but with more creative hijinks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irenicus

P.S. Chance is adorable. ^___^

P.S.S. Mao is HOT(dat ass)

! Her design is flawless, particularly here:

Spoiler for img ch3:

Nothing's more alluring than a woman hard at work.

frubam · 2012-01-27, 01:09

Well now

Spoiler for chp 7:

Irenicus · 2012-01-29, 17:57

Glad to share the love.

I figured a lot of people must be missing it and wanted to share.

Though I agree when I said "superhero" I really should have focused more on the magical school life part. They're technically learning to be superheroes (cue plot twist), but they act like a bunch of magical school students.

Spoiler:

frubam · 2012-02-15, 20:43

Wow...

Spoiler for ch 11-12:

...that president of the UAHs is AN ASS! I thought he was just trying to garner the media's attention to increase the popularity of his school, while embarassing Saint Ange. I'm glad everyone called "bullshit" on the president's reasoning as to how SA found out; they all know he set them up to be shown as villians. I have no idea WHY he would allow Chance to fight Ange when she...well, doesn't stand a chance

. Guess that makes the president that much more of an ass. Even Ombre and Sablon couldn't get near Ange while he was wielding Chaid(or whatever the dude-turned-sword name is), so Chance is going to need one HELL of a chance to win.

The way 'death' can be seen is very disturbing. Just they way it wraps itself around a person is creepy, but that hourglass and abacus(wtf!?) just adds to make it even more unsettling; but it is def cool as hell to look at.

Damnit, I just love Val's outfits (^,^)! I think the big thing about her is that her ability and attachment to cute, flashy costumes is opposite to the whole "Thor"/valkyrie persona her character actually is, and that makes her especially cute =03. I really like her, so I feel kinda bad that she'll never win over Mao.

Hyperbolic time chamber (O.o)?... Anyway, I'm surprised that Ombre and Mao jumped in w/o a 2nd thought to save Chance. Well, not really 'surprised', but still, two years is a long time away from the world. I wonder if the bud will sprout a bit in their relationship. It certainly looks like the case for Chance and Funerailles, even if Fune is kinda messed up in the looks department =0\. Well, at least no one in this story is bothered by odd looking chars and appearances, so I guess he isn't ugly in the context of the story. Hopefully after all of this, she'll have more power than just the ability to fly so she can support Ombre and Mao when things get heated.

There's still alot more story to tell. Funerailles knows more about Chance than he's letting on. Then there's the whole Mao/Wang Mu election thing + whatever Ombre's original mission, which hasn't been expound on at all. Man, I just can wait til they get to Mao and Ombre

.

Mughi · 2012-02-15, 23:47

This series is pure brilliance. Every character is nicely developed along the way with their own idiosyncrasies and weaknesses, including the ones on the sides. The main chara are both "human" and actually FEEL young/naive and yet have a smartness and depth about them that rounds them each out very well... The matter of fact way chara speak also brings a pretty fresh feeling to the story. Being equal parts Euro & Asian style is a big draw for me... like Heavy Metal meets Shonen Jump. And most of all, the art is simply gorgeous. The detail in the chara and environments alike bring this whole series to life. I'm loving it!

I'm also digging all the pop references too... especially the Monty Python ones! (Ni!)

Tom Bombadil · 2012-02-17, 06:33

What does "Squeele" mean? It doesn't seem to be a word in English or French.

I have finished vol1. While so far the plot mostly focus on the hero school life, it does hint something deeper and with a grander stage for the characters. The wolf man has been pretty plain and stereotype (as strong and trustworthy, a.k.a the good big man) so far, the ladies definitely shines. They are smart, versatile, fun, and above all, have a hot body to match all that talent!

The art in it self is detailed and lovely. However, the grey background is kind of double edged sword. Sometimes it works well for the mystery feel, but too much of it make it feels the characters are living in a place where it always rains. A bit melancholic and depressing.

edit: I wonder if the pages being too grey is a scanning or cleaning issue or just the art style.

Anyway, I have finished the first 3 volumes, and my reaction is a bit mixed. As I said above, I was hoping some more grand schemes to develop, that has only happened to a limited degree. I hate the ginger bead arch, it is stupid (probably because I don't know enough about the background story). The whole one school against another one isn't very interesting either: as the plot alternates between serious and humorous, there is hardly much tension. The end of volume 3 racked up the tension considerably, though. Although it is the cliched shounen training arch, it is still pretty good. There are pages that gives me shivers of excitement. Looking forward to finish this arch.

frubam · 2012-02-18, 10:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Bombadil

What does "Squeele" mean? It doesn't seem to be a word in English or French.

Anyway, I have finished the first 3 volumes, and my reaction is a bit mixed. As I said above, I was hoping some more grand schemes to develop, that has only happened to a limited degree. I hate the ginger bead arch, it is stupid (probably because I don't know enough about the background story). The whole one school against another one isn't very interesting either: as the plot alternates between serious and humorous, there is hardly much tension. The end of volume 3 racked up the tension considerably, though. Although it is the cliched shounen training arch, it is still pretty good. There are pages that gives me shivers of excitement. Looking forward to finish this arch.

I'm guessing "Squeele" is an onomatopoeia. It was the sound coming from 'baby' Ombre when Chance was squeezing him in chapter 6.

I actually liked the gingerbread arc. Sure the idea of fighting gingerbread men was stupid, but also fun and unique, and it gave some of 'the gang' a chance to get together. I think the lack of tension is due to the comic's pacing. Events seem to come and go with little buildup. That doesn't put me off in the least though; in fact, I welcome it. I would rather have it be like it is than be melodramatic, but that might be because I've read a lot of manga that tends to end up that way =0\.

The school vs. school thing as a whole isn't as interesting as the sum of its parts. The way that the UAH students were being accused of being villains and fighting against SA was great =03. Just seeing the individual battles was nice, even though the SA students outclassed the UAH ones. Then there's the Wang Mu/Mao rivalry too that'd I'd like to see more of.

2012-01-27, 01:09	Link #4
frubam simp for Lyria Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: on the Grandcypher Age: 40	Well now Spoiler for chp 7: I guess this was Ombre's chapter to be f'kn awesome =03. An exceptional cook + former commando, yet still is as gentle as his stuffed animal collection makes him just totally badass. When he took on that bear to save Valkyrie, I was impressed...well, MORE impressed even though he lost. When that bear just started talking, I was def like "WTH" for an instant, but the fact that it was just a normal looking bear, but could talk and had a sense of....sophistication to him, I was like 'that shiz is awesome =03!". Amanite is a bitch(not that you couldn't deduce this after the 2nd chapter (>.>)). Oh, and, poor rabbit; at least he got some in the end . __________________ Pure of heart, precious as life (^,^ )

2012-01-29, 17:57	Link #5
Irenicus Le fou, c'est moi Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA Age: 34	Glad to share the love. I figured a lot of people must be missing it and wanted to share. Though I agree when I said "superhero" I really should have focused more on the magical school life part. They're technically learning to be superheroes (cue plot twist), but they act like a bunch of magical school students. Spoiler: Pshht. I stand by my Chance fanboyism. I fell in love at the first upside down color pic of her. It looked like she was going "WHEEEEE~"

2012-02-15, 20:43	Link #6
frubam simp for Lyria Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: on the Grandcypher Age: 40	Wow... Spoiler for ch 11-12: ...that president of the UAHs is AN ASS! I thought he was just trying to garner the media's attention to increase the popularity of his school, while embarassing Saint Ange. I'm glad everyone called "bullshit" on the president's reasoning as to how SA found out; they all know he set them up to be shown as villians. I have no idea WHY he would allow Chance to fight Ange when she...well, doesn't stand a chance . Guess that makes the president that much more of an ass. Even Ombre and Sablon couldn't get near Ange while he was wielding Chaid(or whatever the dude-turned-sword name is), so Chance is going to need one HELL of a chance to win. The way 'death' can be seen is very disturbing. Just they way it wraps itself around a person is creepy, but that hourglass and abacus(wtf!?) just adds to make it even more unsettling; but it is def cool as hell to look at. Damnit, I just love Val's outfits (^,^)! I think the big thing about her is that her ability and attachment to cute, flashy costumes is opposite to the whole "Thor"/valkyrie persona her character actually is, and that makes her especially cute =03. I really like her, so I feel kinda bad that she'll never win over Mao. Hyperbolic time chamber (O.o)?... Anyway, I'm surprised that Ombre and Mao jumped in w/o a 2nd thought to save Chance. Well, not really 'surprised', but still, two years is a long time away from the world. I wonder if the bud will sprout a bit in their relationship. It certainly looks like the case for Chance and Funerailles, even if Fune is kinda messed up in the looks department =0\. Well, at least no one in this story is bothered by odd looking chars and appearances, so I guess he isn't ugly in the context of the story. Hopefully after all of this, she'll have more power than just the ability to fly so she can support Ombre and Mao when things get heated. There's still alot more story to tell. Funerailles knows more about Chance than he's letting on. Then there's the whole Mao/Wang Mu election thing + whatever Ombre's original mission, which hasn't been expound on at all. Man, I just can wait til they get to Mao and Ombre . __________________ Pure of heart, precious as life (^,^ )

2012-02-17, 06:33	Link #8
Tom Bombadil Senior Member Join Date: May 2007	What does "Squeele" mean? It doesn't seem to be a word in English or French. I have finished vol1. While so far the plot mostly focus on the hero school life, it does hint something deeper and with a grander stage for the characters. The wolf man has been pretty plain and stereotype (as strong and trustworthy, a.k.a the good big man) so far, the ladies definitely shines. They are smart, versatile, fun, and above all, have a hot body to match all that talent! The art in it self is detailed and lovely. However, the grey background is kind of double edged sword. Sometimes it works well for the mystery feel, but too much of it make it feels the characters are living in a place where it always rains. A bit melancholic and depressing. edit: I wonder if the pages being too grey is a scanning or cleaning issue or just the art style. Anyway, I have finished the first 3 volumes, and my reaction is a bit mixed. As I said above, I was hoping some more grand schemes to develop, that has only happened to a limited degree. I hate the ginger bead arch, it is stupid (probably because I don't know enough about the background story). The whole one school against another one isn't very interesting either: as the plot alternates between serious and humorous, there is hardly much tension. The end of volume 3 racked up the tension considerably, though. Although it is the cliched shounen training arch, it is still pretty good. There are pages that gives me shivers of excitement. Looking forward to finish this arch. __________________ Last edited by Tom Bombadil; 2012-02-17 at 13:41.

2012-01-25, 05:53	Link #2
Xion Valkyrie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007	I'm a big fan of French manga (I also love Silas/Wake), but I don't think there's a lot of english scanlations for them. French manga seems to be far more similar to Japanese manga than American comics (at least out of the ones I've read). Anyways, read the first 2 chapters and fell in love immediately. I think it references the magical boarding school genre (ie, Harry Potter) far more heavily than super heroes though. Generally in superhero school settings, there's not much emphasis on the school as much as fighting villains with the school as a backdrop. Here, the emphasis is still very much on the classes they're taking and the projects they're working on, although with the kind of magical flare like in Harry Potter.

2012-02-15, 23:47	Link #7
Mughi Wordy b@stard Join Date: May 2006 Location: Mid-Tejas	This series is pure brilliance. Every character is nicely developed along the way with their own idiosyncrasies and weaknesses, including the ones on the sides. The main chara are both "human" and actually FEEL young/naive and yet have a smartness and depth about them that rounds them each out very well... The matter of fact way chara speak also brings a pretty fresh feeling to the story. Being equal parts Euro & Asian style is a big draw for me... like Heavy Metal meets Shonen Jump. And most of all, the art is simply gorgeous. The detail in the chara and environments alike bring this whole series to life. I'm loving it! I'm also digging all the pop references too... especially the Monty Python ones! (Ni!)