Tramp #10

Set against a moody harbor scene, this tenth volume of Tramp from Dargaud places a determined young merchant officer front and center on the dockside, dressed in his gold-buttoned uniform and captain's cap, with the cargo ship Merrick looming behind him and dock workers gathered at the quayside. Kraehn and Jusseaume bring their signature clean, atmospheric linework to a tale promising seafaring tension — the subtitle Le Cargo Maudit ("The Cursed Cargo") sets an ominous tone before you've even turned the first page. A fine 2012 entry in this long-running Franco-Belgian maritime series for anyone who loves the open sea laced with a touch of danger.