Axel Rock #1

The opening volume of Nicolas Moustey and Pierre Loyvet's Axel Rock sets a wonderfully carefree tone, with its subtitle Des stars dans les étoiles ("Stars Among the Stars") hinting at big dreams ahead. The cover's circular vignette draws you right into a cozy treehouse scene, where three small, expressive kids perch together on a broad branch, looking like they're hatching plans that could shake the world — or at least their neighborhood. Published by Dargaud in 2012, this is a charming, warmly illustrated introduction to what promises to be an adventurous young ensemble.