Buddy Longway

Set against the backdrop of the American frontier, Derib’s Buddy Longway is a sprawling, humanist Western epic published by Le Lombard from 1974 to 2006. Across its 20 issues, the series follows its trapper protagonist through a quiet, character-driven journey that prioritizes survival, family, and the harsh beauty of the wilderness over gunfights and heroics. Derib, the sole writer and artist for the entire run, crafts a deeply personal saga that stands out for its respectful depiction of Native American cultures and its meditative pace, making it a landmark of European comics.