This volume was better than the last two, probably because it had a more interesting plot than just a series of cameos and because it was less egregious than the others in terms of trying to do social justice but falling short.

At the same time, this continues the series’s predilection for making sure that all of the characters are related to each other in some way, and that gets tiring after awhile.

I am sheepish to admit that it wasn’t until this spinoff book that I noticed that the character—who appears in many XIII volumes—is depicted as only having one arm.

• XIII
• Colonel Amos
• Alcante
• François Boucq