Aya de Yopougon #5

The fifth volume of Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie's beloved series arrives with a cover that immediately signals new territory: a heavyset soldier in camouflage uniform shades his eyes against the light on a lush tropical path, while a smaller, clearly unsettled woman in matching fatigues trails behind him and an armed guard stands watch in the background, a military vehicle parked among the palm trees. Oubrerie's characteristically expressive linework brings real personality to every figure, the sun-drenched greens of the vegetation almost buzzing with the tiny insects scattered across the scene. After four volumes set in the vibrant Abidjan neighborhood of Yopougon, this 2009 installment promises that the series' warm, sharp-eyed storytelling is ready to take the story somewhere unexpectedly charged.