De Zeemeeuw #[nn]

Fred de Heij's De Zeemeeuw — billed as an "avonturenstrip voor meisjes" (adventure strip for girls) — arrives from XTRA in 2008 with a cover that sets a rich, atmospheric tone. Two young women in period maritime clothing pose confidently atop a stack of drawers on a rocky shore, a leopard resting at their feet and a tall ship sailing through a moody sea behind them. It's a wonderfully painted tableau that promises seafaring adventure with a dash of the exotic.