Braquages et Bras Cassés #[nn]

A gritty, atmospheric cover sets the tone perfectly here: five mismatched men — ranging from lean and nervous to broad and stolid — stand against a weathered wall beneath a looming industrial headframe, rendered in moody grey washes with flashes of amber sky. Georges Van Linthout and Benjamin Fischer bring a distinctly noir sensibility to this French-language album from La Boîte à Bulles, where the title Braquages et Bras Cassés ("Heists and Broken Arms") promises a world of small-time crooks and hard-luck schemes. Published in 2010, it's the kind of down-at-heel crime story that earns its tension through character rather than spectacle.