Sam Pezzo

A creation of the gifted Giardino, Sam Pezzo stepped onto the page in 1980 — the Bronze Age — through the French publisher Glénat, anchoring his own series Les enquêtes de Sam Pezzo and finding a home in the acclaimed anthology Circus as well. With a name that practically smells of cigarette smoke and rain-slicked streets, this character carries the unmistakable air of the European detective tradition, the kind of brooding, atmospheric figure that Franco-Belgian comics did so masterfully in that era. His catalog footprint may be compact, but Giardino's craftsmanship has always rewarded close attention — and for fans of intelligent, stylish European comics from the early eighties, Sam Pezzo is absolutely worth seeking out.