Corto Maltese: Under the Sign of Capricorn by Hugo Pratt

Corto Maltese

Corto Maltese: Under the Sign of Capricorn 
Hugo Pratt
3/5 stars

Corto Maltese is an independent Italian sea captain during the earlier years of the 20th century.  This volume takes place during 1916-17.  Corto is a rogue who says he's out only for himself, but still somehow manages to help out the underdog.  He is an extremely appealing character, and his adventures are fun to read, though not particularly in depth.

There is little character development, unfortunately, even though some of the stories were continuations of the previous ones.  Also, while Pratt is excellent at drawing action and personalities, I felt that the emotions weren't always as clear as I have seen in other graphic novels (The Explorer's Guild springs to mind).  The conversations also seemed stilted at times--perhaps as a result of the translation?

Under the Sign of Capricorn is an enjoyable, short read, but not exceptional. Nevertheless, I am certainly intrigued enough to want to learn more about Corto, and plan to read the next volume.