Monsieur Charlatan
is a webcomic takes place in Paris during The Great Depression. Isidore Charlatan was once a great detective but, after falling into disgrace and losing his beloved fiancée, he now spends his time drinking and contemplating suicide. His Only Friend is Magda, who insists into helping him to face life again, despite his jerkass behaviour. Ironically, that is what happens when she drags him into a night club and he suspects that someone is trying to commit a murder. The problem is, nobody believes him and Inspector Louis, the chief of police, hates Isidore fanatically.
Starts here.
Tropes featured:
- Accidental Pun: While the Count is hiring Professor Kamir to kill his wife, two students stop outside the latter's office door. One of them is wiring the other: "I am telling you, don't ever take his classes! The man is a "killer"!"
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Awesome Art: All the comic is digitally painted. Some of the sceneries are particulary awesome, like this one. - Belligerent Sexual Tension: Isidore and Magda relationship is showing signs of this.
- Betty and Veronica: Magda and Adeline
- The Big Damn Kiss: Between Isidore and Adeline on page 90.
- Blackmail:
- The Count threatens to reveal Kamir's past as an assassin if he refuses to kill Adeline.
- When Magda tells Adeline to stay away from Isidore, the latter threatens to put both in jail by telling everyone they killed Magda's husband.
- Broken Ace: Isidore.
- Byronic Hero: Isidore, indeed. He is Brilliant, but Lazy, cult and perceptive, whenever he is not too drunk or obsessed with death. Also, he was the only one willing to help Magda in the past, while most people preferred to ignore domestic violence. And when realizes there is a murderer on the loose, his old passion returns.
- Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Kamir doesn't kill Isidore even when the latter begs to because he needs him to take the blame for Adeline's murder.
- Cassandra Truth: Isidore seems to have a hard time getting people to believe him.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Magda gets pretty jealous whenever Isidore gives some attention to Adeline.
- Close-Knit Community: His neighbors look after his cat.
- Cue the Sun: The opening scene
- Dark and Troubled Past: Isidore
- Day Hurts Dark-Adjusted Eyes: Isidore feigns this.
- Dirty Cop: Inspector Louis
- Dogged Nice Guy: Phillip insists into inviting Magda to dinner, although she is clearly not interested. When Isidore burst into the newspaper office to warn her about the killer, Phillipe menaces him, but she dismisses him firmly. He smirks when Isidore leaves dejectedly.
- Domestic Abuse: Magda suffered from this at the hands of her ex-husband.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Isidore became an alcoholic after he has lost everything.
- Driven to Suicide: Isidore
- Evil Cripple: The Count
- Forgets to Eat: Isidore
- Good Samaritan: Magda to Isidore. As much as she complains, she can't help it, because he saved her life after her husband raped her and locked her up.
- Gold Digger: Adeline, was Isidore's fiancé until he lost everything, she then decided to dump him. She then married a rich Count instead. Her new husband wants her dead.
- Great Detective: His Back Story
- Immoral Journalist: Magda's boss presses her to write a deprecating article about Isidore because whatever is written about him "sells like crazy". She quits, but changes her mind after learning that Isidore told her secret to Adeline and he was quite a jerk to her when she called him out (also, because he had sex with Adeline after everything that woman did to him). She regrets it later.
- Interrupted Suicide: Happens to Isidore a lot. The first time, he is about to give himself a shoot when Magda arrives. His cat, Luna, interrupts his second attempt by hissing when he is cutting one of his wrists with a razor.
- Intrepid Reporter: Magda
- Kick the Dog: Many characters love doing that: Adeline, Liam, The Count, Inspector Louis...
- Manipulative Bastard: Adeline. Just frickin' Adeline.
- Mess of Woe: The condition of Isidore's office horrifies Magda.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Isidore saves Adeline from getting murdered but the bouncer comes in at the wrong time and thinks Isidore is taking advantage of her. In the end Isidore gets beaten up and humiliated for his trouble.
- Not What It Looks Like: This page.
- Odd-Shaped Panel: Conforming, mostly, to objects inside.
- Parental Abandonment: According to Magda's article, Isidore's parents abandoned him to be raised by strangers while they traveled.
- Professional Killer: Kamir Geroux's past profession.
- Private Detective: Isidore.
- Real Women Don't Wear Dresses: Magda started wearing pants after her husband's death.
- Sir Swearsalot: The Count
