XIII

A taut, nine-issue European thriller from France Loisirs, XIII follows a man who awakens with no memory and a mysterious Roman numeral tattooed on his shoulder, plunging him into a labyrinthine conspiracy involving a presidential assassination and a secret paramilitary group. Published between 1998 and 2008, the series is most closely associated with writer Jean Van Hamme and artist William Vance, whose clean, cinematic linework and intricate plotting made this a landmark of Franco-Belgian espionage comics. Its tight, puzzle-box narrative and morally complex hero helped redefine the modern European thriller, influencing a generation of creators and earning a lasting place in the canon of international comics.