This is quite an impressive and nicely-rendered story in Trondheim’s typical Ralph Azham / Donjon / McConey style, but unfortunately it probably missed a lot of readers because the art wasn’t the most finished in the world. Namely, it lacked watercolor, which would have worked splendidly here with all the plant life and structures of the time.

(in the OP, you should be seeing a color experiment, followed by the original page)

All the pirate captains have surrendered, except for La Buse, now imprisoned. Will the former buccaneers, now colonists, save him? Will his treasure ever be lost? In this world between two eras, on an island that is no longer the original paradise of its discoverers, excitement is at its peak, and two eccentric ornithologists cherish the hope of capturing the last dodo.

https://www.bedetheque.com/serie-14720-BD-Ile-Bourbon-1730.html

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https://www.bdgest.com/prepages/Couvertures/IleBCouv.jpg

This story takes place after the Euro powers have mostly closed the door on The Golden Age of Piracy. What’s interesting here is that Bourbon Isle is full of colonists, amnestied former pirates, the ruling colonial body, slaves waiting for auction, escaped slaves living in the jungle looking for payback, a famous pirate waiting for execution, and supposedly his enormous treasure, buried somewhere on the very same island. Not to mention, a 2nd-rate Charles Darwin-like figure trying to hunt up one of the last of the dodos, which had likely gone extinct decades earlier.

The whole thing’s a criss-cross tale of such personalities pursuing their goals in the same timeframe, intersecting and clashing here and there, all in fairly close proximity. A little bit like a mashup of Treasure Island and The Count of Monte Cristo, let’s say. All told with Trondheim’s signature deadpan, understated wit & humor.

More sample pages in French below, and I’ll kick it off with these:

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https://www.bdgest.com/prepages/Planches/IleB02.jpg

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https://www.bdgest.com/prepages/Planches/IleB04.jpg

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https://www.bdgest.com/prepages/Planches/IleB08.jpg

More pages:
https://www.bdgest.com/preview-234-BD-ile-bourbon-1730-histoire-complete.html