De Kraai #5

A gaunt, sharp-featured man in a dark suit looms against a deep purple background, a cigarette dangling from his fingers and a crate of dynamite at his side — tension practically radiates off the page. This fifth installment of Lax's Belgian crime series De Kraai ("The Crow") carries the ominous subtitle "werpt de lont in het kruit" — lighting the fuse in the powder keg — promising high-stakes danger ahead. Published by Dupuis' Spotlight imprint in 2003, this album showcases Lax's distinctive, angular linework at its atmospheric best.