Sortir de terre #[nn]

Published by Éditions de la Gouttière in 2019, Sortir de terre — subtitled "À 198 kilomètres de la pyramide…" — is a quietly compelling French graphic novel from Xavier Bétaucourt and Jean-Luc Loyer. The cover sets a contemplative tone beautifully: two figures perch on a rooftop or elevated surface, gazing out over a sprawling townscape rendered in soft blue-grey tones, while two white doves take flight above them. There's a real sense of perspective and possibility here, the kind of understated visual storytelling that makes bande dessinée so rewarding.