Durandal #1

A glittering sword stands thrust into a great stone at the cover's center, its golden crossguard catching the light above a fearsome dragon-like creature coiled around the base — while ranks of armored warriors press in through a snowy, mist-shrouded forest behind them. Gwendal Lemercier's artwork sets a brooding, mythic tone for this opening chapter, "La Marche de Bretagne," blending Arthurian imagery with the grim atmosphere of medieval conflict. Durandal #1 from Soleil (2010) promises the kind of richly rendered dark fantasy that fans of European bandes dessinées will want to explore.