Le Bar à Joe

In the gritty, rain-slicked world of Le Bar à Joe, writer Sampayo and artist José Muñoz crafted a triptych of hardboiled tales for Casterman between 1981 and 2002. This three-issue series, a landmark in European noir, follows the down-and-out denizens of a seedy bar, where every drink and whispered secret carries the weight of desperation. Muñoz’s expressionistic, ink-heavy art perfectly captures the moral murk of Sampayo’s scripts, making this a masterclass in mood and a vital work from the celebrated Argentine duo.