Asphalt Blues #[nn]

Jaouen Salaün's Asphalt Blues, published by Les Humanoïdes Associés, announces itself with a cover that perfectly captures restless, open-road melancholy: a sleek black muscle car is parked at what looks like a coastal road's edge, a young woman in a striped top leaning pensively against the open passenger door while a red-jacketed figure sits atop the car, back turned, gazing out toward a hazy horizon. The muted palette — cool grays and dusty greens punctuated by flashes of red — gives the whole image a quiet, cinematic tension that feels distinctly European in sensibility. With an introduction by Bastien Vivès and Michaël Sanlaville and a postface by Pierre Perifel, this 2021 release arrives with serious creative company, making it an especially compelling addition to any bande dessinée collection.