Karel de Grote #[nn]

Gwendal Lemercier's artwork sets an imposing tone right from the cover, where a crowned, armor-clad Charlemagne stands before a sweeping aerial view of a snow-dusted ancient city — a colosseum and fortress visible in the distance — with armored soldiers arrayed behind him. The composition captures the weight of an empire in a single image, sword in hand and red cloak billowing, conveying both authority and ambition. Published by Daedalus in 2017, this Dutch-language graphic biography brings one of history's most consequential rulers to life in vivid, beautifully rendered detail.