Graphic Novel Collection #6

Set against a smoldering Pacific sunset framed by palm trees, this 2015 Dark Dragon Books collection pulls you straight into crime-thriller territory: a broad-shouldered man, his arm bearing bold Maori tattoo work, stands just beyond a yellow police crime-scene tape that stretches across the foreground. Writer Caryl Férey and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli — who also handled inks and colors throughout — bring a vivid, sun-scorched atmosphere to Maori that feels equal parts noir and South Pacific. It's a striking package that wears its cultural and investigative tension right on its sleeve, or rather, its cover.