Cléopâtre, la Reine fatale #2

Part of Delcourt's "Les Reines de Sang" series celebrating history's most formidable queens, this second volume finds Cléopâtre kneeling in richly draped Egyptian surroundings, her arms crossed and expression unreadable — a composed figure beneath the looming, golden visage of a powerful Roman man whose knowing smile suggests he holds all the cards, or thinks he does. Writers Marie & Thierry Gloris and artist Joël Mouclier bring unmistakable tension to the composition, placing the queen in a posture that reads as much defiant as it does calculated. A beautifully rendered 2018 entry in this French historical series for anyone drawn to the politics and drama of the ancient world.