Editing Blake and Mortimer (section)

==Story characteristics==
Although the series' title suggests a balance in appearance of the two characters, Mortimer is often the main [[protagonist]], seen more frequently than Blake. In the original series, it is mainly he who, through his impulsive character, gets entangled in their adventures. In comparison, Blake is depicted as a serious, formal army officer who comes Mortimer's aid when necessary. Colonel Olrik, the main antagonist, displays a combination of the characteristics and personalities of both heroes, but his exploits are typically negative, ending with disastrous consequences.

Blake and Mortimer adventures are characterised by a quest, often involving undercover, secretive operations, ending with a heroic, liberated, or publicised ending. Furthermore, the structure of the books' storylines are often similar: in the beginning, certain unseen and significant events have already taken place – in ''The Yellow 'M''', for instance, the antagonist of the story, 'Guinea Pig', has already committed various daring acts of theft on a grand scale, and readers only learn about this upon seeing Mortimer reading a newspaper. Also, the books often share comparable endings, with the protagonists reflecting on the wisdom they have acquired from their experiences: after returning from his time travel in ''The Time Trap'', Mortimer concludes that rather than dwell on the 'good old days' or look forward to a 'brighter future', one should be content with the present.

Blake and Mortimer are frequently shown to be residing in a shared home, in adjacent apartments, the same manner as [[Sherlock Holmes]] and [[John Watson (Sherlock Holmes)|Doctor Watson]]. Many francophone comics share this basis of confirmed bachelors who live together, including [[Tintin (character)|Tintin]] and [[Captain Haddock]], [[Asterix (character)|Asterix]] & [[Obelix]], [[Spirou & Fantasio]], and [[Tif et Tondu|Tif & Tondu]]. These series were all first published during a time when the censorship of youth publications was very heavily enforced and stringent, and male/female segregation was rigorously policed.

The settings of many of Jacobs' stories are contemporary, based on real-world events and environments, and as such the first few titles of the series present a look and feel reminiscent of the 1950s, while later instalments showcase a political climate comparable to the 1970s. One exception to this rule is, once again, ''The Time Trap'', starring in the present (i.e. early 1960s) but with its action, caused by a sabotaged time machine, largely takes place in the 51st century – a brief venture in medieval times and a stopover in the Jurassic period also take place. Post-Jacobs stories are, so far, integrated into the chronology of the earlier books, or precede it, taking place in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.

Jacobs' art style, although typical of the Belgian comics drawings (known as 'clear line' or '[[ligne claire]]'), is notable for its extensive use of light colours and its containment of scenes similar to those found in film production (the panoramic view over night-time London featured as the opening scene in ''The Yellow 'M''' being a good example of this).

Conversely, the series' writing is noted for its high verbosity, such as in ''The Yellow 'M''', which contains a page sporting over 900 words. Captions and word balloons also appear frequently, describing action being depicted visually.