Written by Xavier Dorison, illustrated by Thimothée Montaigne
Published in French by Glénat (2022–2024) and in Dutch by Standaard Uitgeverij. The work consists of two volumes:
- The Devil’s Apothecary (De apotheker van de duivel / L’Apothicaire du diable)
- The Red Island (Het rode eiland / L’Île rouge)
About the authors
Xavier Dorison is one of France’s leading graphic novel writers, renowned for combining meticulous historical research with compelling storytelling. Thimothée Montaigne is an acclaimed French comic artist whose richly detailed illustrations bring historical settings vividly to life.
Summary
1629 is a historical graphic novel based on the true story of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship Batavia, which sailed from Amsterdam for Java in 1629 before being wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos off the coast of Western Australia. Drawing on surviving eyewitness accounts and historical research, the authors recreate the voyage, the growing tensions aboard ship, and the ambitions of the merchant Jeronimus Cornelisz, whose plans for mutiny are interrupted by the disaster.
The second volume follows the survivors stranded on the islands, where Cornelisz establishes a brutal reign of terror that leads to one of the darkest episodes in Australian maritime history. While the narrative includes fictionalised dialogue and character development, the major events closely follow the historical record. The artwork is atmospheric and realistic, capturing both the harsh conditions aboard the Batavia and the bleak landscape of the Australian coast. The result is a visually striking and historically grounded retelling of one of the seventeenth century’s most infamous shipwrecks.
