La lame et la Croix #2

The second chapter of La Lame et la Croix — subtitled La Croix sanglante — arrives from Mosquito with a cover that immediately commands attention: a lone, broad-hatted swordsman crouches in a swirling snowstorm, twin blades drawn and a fallen rapier nearby, exuding the grim patience of a man who has survived worse than the cold. Casini's linework renders the wintry desolation with quiet intensity, the muted palette of grey and red perfectly matching the ominous subtitle. If the mood of this 2017 album is any indication, "the bloody cross" promises a historical adventure with real weight behind every duel.