Le Choucas #2

Lax's moody cover for Le Choucas s'incruste sets the tone immediately: a weathered, hard-edged man lights a cigarette, his face rendered in stark red and black tones that practically radiate atmosphere. Published by Dupuis under the Repérages imprint in 2001, this second volume of Le Choucas showcases Lax's confident linework and flair for noir-inflected character studies. If you appreciate European crime comics with a distinctly gritty sensibility, this one belongs on your shelf.