Shi Xiu #4

The fourth volume of Shi Xiu — Reine des Pirates arrives with a cover that says everything about where this saga has arrived: a striking woman in flowing red commands the center, surrounded by a circle of weathered, formidable figures aboard what appears to be a towering wooden vessel. Writer Nicolas Meyssonnier and artist Wu Qing Song bring a cinematic sweep to this Franco-Belgian series rooted in Chinese piracy, and the composition — Shi Xiu elevated above her assembled crew, poised and unyielding — makes the subtitle Le Règne ("The Reign") feel entirely earned. If you've been following this beautifully rendered series, volume four looks like a deeply satisfying chapter in the queen's story.