De Muizen van Leningrad #1

Thomas du Caju's cover sets the stage with striking atmosphere: a Soviet tank emblazoned with "За Родину!" (For the Motherland!) and a red star dominates the scene, while a figure stands atop it holding a red flag, accompanied by a dog, as three weary young people rest against the hull below amid a smoky, autumnal landscape. Jean-Claude Van Rijckeghem and Thomas du Caju open this Dupuis series with "Ik ben Chapayev!" — a wartime tale that already feels both intimate and epic from its very first page. If World War II stories told through the eyes of ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances appeal to you, this 2019 Belgian release looks like a compelling place to start.