Borgia #2

Alejandro Jodorowsky and Milo Manara bring their lush, Renaissance-soaked vision of history's most notorious family to life in this second volume, subtitled Power and Incest. Manara's cover renders a striking noblewoman in an ornate blue-and-gold gown, a small monkey perched in her lap, with the imposing stone architecture of a grand Italian palace rising behind her — all rendered with the sensuous, painterly detail Manara is celebrated for. Published by Heavy Metal in 2006, this oversized hardcover is a genuinely sumptuous piece of work that rewards anyone drawn to dark historical drama told with artistic ambition.