Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back was one of my favorite albums that Daz Dillinger had put out back in the late 1990s. For those who don’t know who I am talking about, he was one of the lessor known artists assigned to Death Row Records, the same music label who was responsible for Dr.Dre’s solo success and 2Pac’s resurgence before his death. The album itself was a modern hip hop masterpiece, as it was probably one of the better albums that came out that year.

The title itself was not used just for namesake but was the underlying theme throughout the album as each song personified an aspect of vendetta. To make things balance in the world, one often thinks that they must exact one of these things. This is especially true when one someone close gets brutally murdered, as those around them wonder if a righteous kill equals vengeance? In the third volume of Blake and Mortimer, Mortimer is hot on the trail of Blake’s killer, Olrik.

Captain Blake having been assassinated at Athens Airport, Olrik seems to have won the first round. A furious Mortimer swears that he’ll never stop trying to avenge his friend. He goes on the hunt for Olrik, but information is scarce. Sheik Abdel Razek, an old man with mysterious powers, protects him against Doctor Grossgrabenstein’s crew. The doctor is a devoted Egyptologist who has undertaken excavations not far from the Great Pyramid. Strange happenings occur and Mortimer may sometimes feel like he’s losing his way in this investigation that will lead him into the darkest depths of the Great Pyramid.

Overall, this third volume is one of the better books in the series so far. We get to find out just how accomplished a storyteller Edgar P Jacobs as he hit stride in this installment. The story by Jacobs is dense, smart, and well developed. The art by Jacobs is vivid and elegant. By volume’s end, we find two friends closer than ever.

Story: Edgar P Jacobs Art: Edgar P Jacobs
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy