Le Choucas #3

The third volume of Lax's Le Choucas series arrives from Dupuis with a cover that immediately commands attention — a dramatically rendered close-up of a weathered, hard-edged face bathed in stark green tones, rendered with scratchy, expressive linework that feels almost uncomfortably intimate. Lax's cover art, all shadow and tension, sets a distinctly noir mood that perfectly suits the story's provocative title, Le Choucas enfonce le clou ("The Jackdaw Drives the Nail Home"). For fans of French-language bande dessinée with a gritty, character-driven edge, this 2001 release is a compelling entry in the series.