Souvenirs de L'empire de l'Atome #[nn]

A striking adaptation of A.E. van Vogt's science-fiction universe, this 2013 Dargaud album showcases Alexandre Clérisse's instantly arresting retro-modernist design sensibility across every inch of its cover. A lone silhouetted figure stands against a sweeping red curve and a lightning bolt that cuts through a starfield, evoking the atomic-age grandeur the title promises. Writer Thierry Smolderen and artist Clérisse together make "Souvenirs de L'empire de l'Atome" one of the most visually distinctive French graphic novels of its year.