L'Armée de l'ombre #1

Part of Editions Paquet's Mémoire 1939–1945 collection, this 2012 Belgian album opens L'Armée de l'ombre with a story titled "L'Hiver Russe" — and the cover sets the tone immediately. Olivier Speltens renders a column of German soldiers pushing through a bitter, snow-swept landscape, their faces wrapped against the cold, rifles in hand, helmets and heavy greatcoats dusted with frost. The muted blue-grey palette captures the grinding misery of the Eastern Front with striking economy, making this a compelling introduction to what promises to be a deeply atmospheric wartime series.