Compadres #[nn]

Structured in three striking horizontal panels, this Sarbacane release from Colin-Thibert and Pontarolo immediately signals a moody, atmospheric Western — towering red rock formations give way to a pair of intense, narrowed eyes, then to a long-haired figure gripping two revolvers with smoke still curling from the barrels, and finally to a sprawling frontier town stretching across the bottom of the page. The warm amber and sepia palette gives the whole image a sun-baked, dusty feel that perfectly suits the genre. At 19.50 EUR, Compadres looks like a compelling French-language take on the Old West that rewards a slow, careful read.