Niourk #1

Part of the Dutch "Het Universum van Stefan Wul" collection, this 2013 Dark Dragon Books release opens Olivier Vatine's Niourk series with a cover that immediately commands attention: a small, defiant child stands atop a crumbling ruin beneath a vast full moon, gripping a staff, while a massive roaring bear rears up behind him — the two figures silhouetted against an eerie blue night sky. Vatine handles writing, art, inking, and coloring himself, and that singular vision is already evident in the moody, atmospheric tones that set the tone for "Het zwarte kind." It's a striking first chapter for anyone drawn to post-apocalyptic science fiction with a distinctly European sensibility.