Tom Poes #5

In this 2018 Dutch album from Uitgeverij Cliché, Tom Poes and the rotund, cheerful Olivier B. Bommel find themselves in a gloomy, storm-lit landscape — Bommel beaming in his yellow jacket while a scatter of colorful flowers lies at his feet, with a mysterious sign reading "Tranen Bal" visible near a gnarled tree in the murky background. The title Tom Poes en de Zonnebril ("Tom Poes and the Sunglasses") hints at a sunny object at the heart of an adventure that feels anything but bright, given the ominous setting on the cover. At €8,95, it's an inviting entry in Marten Toonder's beloved anthropomorphic world, rendered here with warm, expressive linework that captures both charm and a pleasing undercurrent of mystery.