Inspecteur Kurokôchi #12

Volume 12 of Inspecteur Kurokôchi puts its brooding, heavyset protagonist front and center — rendered in Kôji Kôno's striking amber-toned linework, the inspector looms against a golden background, glass in hand, his expression radiating quiet menace. Takashi Nagasaki's screenplay and Kôno's art have built this series into one of the most compelling crime manga available in French, and this installment is no exception. A rewarding volume for anyone who appreciates morally complex detective fiction with serious artistic muscle behind it.