Draak en gif #2

The second volume of Draak en Gif arrives from Arboris with a cover by Rebecca Morse that immediately establishes the series' lively fantasy energy: a hulking, bare-chested warrior brandishes a dagger while a dark-haired swashbuckler stands poised behind him, both looming over a sprawled companion in colorful striped trousers — all three watched over by a snarling golden dragon whose beak-like snout curves in from the upper right. Shadowy armored figures lurk in the smoky background, adding a sense of danger that frames the trio's defiant stance perfectly. With Isabelle Bauthian's storytelling and Morse's expressive linework, "Buikmans en Builenkop" looks like a rousing continuation of this Dutch-language adventure series.