Smax #4

Sun-drenched and full of summer mischief, this fourth volume of Bertschy's Smax series — subtitled L'Été Meurtrier — sets the scene with a vibrant, warm-toned cover featuring the gang gathered around an ice cream stand. A girl in a red cap, a wide-eyed boy with his tongue eagerly out, a younger kid, and a shaggy, droopy-eyed dog crowd the frame with cheerful cartoon energy. Published by Glénat in 2003, it's a fun, lively entry in this Franco-Belgian series that promises humor and holiday-season chaos in equal measure.