Traumreisen #[nn]

Vittorio Giardino's Traumreisen presents a sun-drenched Mediterranean mood right from its cover, where a dark-haired woman in a flowing red dress parts a curtain of golden bamboo, butterflies drifting around her amid olive trees and terracotta urns. The story within, "Insel des Mythos," promises exactly the kind of dreamy, myth-tinged atmosphere that Giardino — handling every creative role from writing to color — renders with such quiet elegance. Published by Salleck in 2003, this German-language volume is a handsome showcase for one of European comics' most carefully crafted visual sensibilities.