Alwilda #1

Jean-Yves Mitton's cover for this 2017 Original Watts album sets an immediately atmospheric tone: a pale, ethereal figure — a young woman with flowing blonde hair — emerges or descends through churning, wave-like waters rendered in deep blues and greys. Subtitled Naissance d'une Walkyrie ("Birth of a Valkyrie"), this first volume of three promises a Nordic saga steeped in warrior mythology, with "Acte I — L'École des Guerriers" suggesting a story of training, transformation, and forging one's destiny. Mitton's moody, fluid linework gives the whole package a haunting elegance that makes this an enticing entry point into Alwilda's world.