Tramp #4

The fourth volume of this Belgian maritime series finds its brooding protagonist walking among the skeletal ribs of a shipwreck on a wide, windswept beach, while a lone figure in red stands silhouetted in the misty distance — a quietly melancholic image that speaks directly to the title, "Voor Hélène." Kraehn and Jusseaume bring their trademark atmosphere to bear, with Jusseaume's restrained linework and muted coastal palette giving the scene a palpable sense of longing and unfinished journeys. Published by Dargaud in 1999, this is European bande dessinée storytelling at its most contemplative and visually assured.