Muse #[nn]

Set against a dreamy, soft-green pastoral backdrop — complete with a horse-drawn carriage receding into the distance — a confident, elegantly dressed young woman reclines at the center of Terry Dodson's lush cover art for this 2013 Humanoids release. The period setting and Dodson's graceful linework give Muse an atmosphere somewhere between romance and quiet intrigue, perfectly suited to Denis-Pierre Filippi's story "Coraline." It's a beautifully composed package that makes a strong case for this European-style graphic album as a standout on any shelf.