C.R.S = Détresse #12

Volume 12 of Achdé and Cauvin's beloved French comedy series delivers its signature brand of riot-squad chaos, and this cover sets the tone perfectly: a hapless squad of helmeted CRS officers scrambles in panicked formation behind their riot shield, completely overwhelmed by a surging mob of skunks spraying noxious clouds in every direction. The orange-drenched illustration captures the slapstick heart of the series — heavily armed law enforcement utterly undone by the least dignified of adversaries. If you enjoy your comedy with a whiff of the absurd, Gaz au Mètre (2005, Dargaud) is exactly the kind of album that reminds you why this series has kept readers laughing for over a decade.