Corto Maltese #1

Hugo Pratt's La Ballade de la Mer Salée gets a handsome 1991 France Loisirs edition, presenting one of the most celebrated chapters in the Corto Maltese saga. The cover, signed by Pratt himself, assembles a striking quartet of figures in military caps and period uniforms — brooding faces rendered in his characteristically loose, atmospheric linework. It's an elegant showcase of Pratt's ability to convey tension and mystery through composition alone.