L'Agence #4

Two poised, elegantly dressed women — one in a sleek black gown, the other wrapped in a warm coat — stand against a snow-dusted backdrop that evokes the grand architecture of a Russian city square, complete with a towering column. Published by Casterman in 2009 under their Ligne Rouge imprint, this fourth L'Agence album by Bartoll and Lecrain takes on the intriguing subtitle Dossier Vierge Noire, hinting at a shadowy new case for the agency. The combination of sophisticated characters and a wintry Eastern European setting makes for a compelling, atmospheric cover that draws you straight in.