Le Chat du Rabbin #12

Volume 12 of Joann Sfar's beloved Le Chat du Rabbin series brings "La Traversée de la mer Noire" — the crossing of the Black Sea — and the cover sets the mood beautifully: a great tawny lion-cat looms large in the foreground alongside wide-eyed human companions huddled on what appears to be a boat at night, a crescent moon and onion-domed silhouettes rising against the dusky sky behind them. Sfar's warm, expressive linework gives the scene an atmosphere that blends adventure and gentle unease in equal measure. Fans of this long-running French series will find the 2023 installment looking every bit as charming and atmospheric as the volumes that preceded it.