Les Next Men #1

A striking chessboard stretches across the cover of this 2011 Éditions Dante release, where multiple fallen or scattered figures — rendered in John Byrne's sharp, kinetic linework — lie among oversized chess pieces, suggesting a high-stakes game with very human consequences. The bold graphic design immediately signals that the Next Men are players in a world where the rules are anything but simple. Byrne pulls triple duty as writer, penciler, and inker, with colors by Ronda Pattison bringing this French-language edition to vivid life.