Le Feul #3

Three figures navigate a murky, overgrown waterway in a small rowboat — a dark-haired young woman in a red top holding a bow, a red-haired young man at the oars, and an elderly figure resting between them — setting a mood that is at once intimate and quietly tense. The lush, shadowed foliage pressing in around them gives this third volume of Le Feul, subtitled L'Héritage ("The Inheritance"), a distinctly atmospheric quality that Gaudin and Peynet sustain beautifully. Published by Soleil in 2009, this French-language series continues to reward readers who appreciate adventure steeped in moody, naturalistic illustration.