Borgia #1

Alejandro Jodorowsky and Milo Manara bring the ruthless splendor of Renaissance Rome to the page in this opening volume, subtitled Du Sang pour le Pape. Manara's cover sets the tone beautifully: a poised woman in a sweeping blue gown stands between an armored soldier and a red-robed cardinal seated on an ornate throne, the three figures radiating tension, beauty, and quiet menace in equal measure. It's a striking introduction to a series that promises politics, passion, and papal intrigue rendered in some of the most refined ligne claire brushwork of 2008.