Katanga #2

The second chapter of Katanga is subtitled "Diplomatie," and Sylvain Vallée's cover sets the tone immediately: a broad-shouldered soldier in a red beret stands with his back to us, silhouetted against a sky burning with orange flame, while armed jeeps and military vehicles push through the chaos below. Fabien Nury and Vallée's 2017 Dargaud series draws on the turbulent conflicts of the Katanga region, and this image — equal parts menace and grim pageantry — promises that whatever "diplomacy" means here, it arrives with guns and fire. A compelling continuation for readers who like their historical drama tense and unsparing.