Scherbenmund #[nn]

A moody, rain-slicked urban atmosphere radiates from Reinhard Kleist's cover for this Edition 52 release, where a glamorous blonde woman in an evening gown leans close to a sharp-featured man clutching what appears to be a guitar case against a backdrop of neon-lit city signage. Kleist — handling pencils, inks, and colors throughout — renders the duo with a noir expressiveness that feels equal parts cabaret and street-level tension. Published in 2003, Scherbenmund announces itself as the kind of European graphic work that pulls you in before you've even cracked the spine.