Tramp #9

A handsome man in a white suit studies a letter with quiet intensity while, just behind him, armed soldiers in colonial-era dress take up a tense, crouching position beside a vintage automobile — the lush, misty greens of Tonkin forming an atmospheric backdrop. Patrick Jusseaume's cover art for this ninth volume beautifully captures the sense of intrigue embedded in the title "De schat van Tonkin" (The Treasure of Tonkin), balancing personal drama against looming danger. Jean-Charles Kraehn and Jusseaume's long-running maritime adventure series clearly ventures deep into Southeast Asian territory here, promising mystery and tension in equal measure.