Natacha #1

The Belgian comics tradition welcomed a charming new face in 1971 with this Dupuis album introducing Natacha, the wide-eyed flight attendant in her crisp white uniform and stylish blue cap — her expression caught somewhere between surprise and alarm. François Walthéry's cover art (with scenario by Gos) perfectly sets the adventurous tone: behind Natacha, a group of armed indigenous warriors close in, while a modern jet plane soars in the upper corner — a neat visual shorthand for a story that promises to take a very ordinary airline job somewhere decidedly extraordinary. A wonderfully energetic opening chapter for what would become one of Franco-Belgian comics' most beloved series.