Helden ohne Skrupel #0

Published by Carlsen Comics in 2003, this German-language volume launches Helden ohne Skrupel with the story "Shukumeï" by writer Yann and artist Didier Conrad. Conrad's cover drops the ragtag crew — a cheerful young woman hoisting a giant leaf overhead, flanked by a boar and a trio of stocky, wide-eyed companions — into a murky jungle swamp that radiates both peril and slapstick charm. It's a wonderfully expressive introduction to a series that clearly doesn't take itself too seriously.