Adler #5

The fifth chapter of René Sterne's *Adler* series arrives with a quietly arresting cover: a pale-haired, green-skinned figure sits barefoot on the deck of a weathered wooden boat, cradling what appears to be a limp, similarly toned body amid scattered fishing gear and shallow turquoise water. Sterne's linework carries real emotional weight here, pairing an almost eerie stillness with the raw textures of a working vessel to set a mood that is equal parts melancholy and intrigue. With colorist Chantal De Spiegeleer's cool aquatic palette anchoring the scene, *Black Bounty* looks like a compelling 1995 entry in this distinctive Belgian adventure series.