Corto Maltese - Una ballata del mare salato

Hugo Pratt’s Corto Maltese - Una ballata del mare salato is the first chapter of his celebrated seafaring saga, originally serialized in the 1960s and collected by Lizard Edizioni starting in 1999. Set against the backdrop of the South Pacific during World War I, this single-volume graphic novel introduces the enigmatic sailor Corto Maltese as he navigates a treacherous world of pirates, colonial intrigue, and lost treasure. Pratt’s masterful blend of literary adventure, historical detail, and expressive black-and-white art established the series as a landmark in European comics, influencing generations of storytellers. Its enduring appeal lies in its poetic, melancholic tone and the complex, morally ambiguous hero at its heart.