Laowai #1

The opening volume of Laowai drops readers into the turbulent world of the Opium War, framed by Alcante and Bollée's story and brought to vivid life by Xavier Besse's striking artwork. The cover presents a determined Western naval officer in a dark military coat and peaked cap, his gaze steely and resolute against a backdrop of Chinese characters rendered in bold brushstroke red — while below him, a dramatic scene unfolds of a burning Chinese junk amid billowing smoke on open water. Published by Glénat in 2017, this French-language series promises a gripping historical adventure set at one of the most turbulent flashpoints between East and West.