Gaston #9

Volume 9 of Franquin's beloved Belgian series finds Gaston Lagaffe in characteristically chaotic form — the cover, drawn and inked by André Franquin himself, shows the lanky, grinning antihero juggling the chaos of a flapping seagull, a squirming cat, and what appears to be a small creature, all rendered in Franquin's wonderfully expressive ligne claire style. Published by Dupuis in 1971, this installment collects more of the gloriously disastrous misadventures that made Gaston one of French-language comics' most endearing figures. If you love comedy rooted in lovable incompetence and beautifully fluid cartooning, this one belongs on your shelf.