Jérôme K. Jérôme Bloche #23

Volume 23 of Alain Dodier's long-running Belgian series arrives with a cover that sets a quietly somber tone: two figures — an older man in a trench coat and fedora and a younger dark-haired companion — stand close together against a near-black background, while a white-haired figure lies motionless at their feet. The title "Post Mortem" leaves little doubt that loss and its aftermath are at the heart of this 2012 Dupuis album. Dodier's clean, expressive linework gives the image a restrained gravity that makes it all the more compelling.