Bouncer #5

Against a backdrop of sun-baked red rock formations, the fifth volume of Boucq and Jodorowsky's acclaimed Western series presents a striking tableau: a steely, one-armed gunman in a wide-brimmed hat dominates the foreground, while three very different women — a pale figure with a lace parasol, a severe woman in black with a dramatic hat, and a composed young woman in gold — loom behind him like a gathering storm. The Dutch title "De Prooi van Wolvinnen" ("The Prey of She-Wolves") sets a deliciously dangerous tone, and François Boucq's cover art renders every character with the kind of confident linework and rich color that has made this series a standout of European Western comics. Published in 2007 by Oog & Blik, this is the kind of album that rewards a slow, appreciative look before you've even turned the first page.