Le Masque de fer #5

This fifth volume in Cothias and Marc-Renier's historical series brings the intrigue of 17th-century France to a head with Le Secret de Mazarin. Marc-Renier's cover painting draws the eye to a solitary, elderly figure — richly dressed and seated in a candlelit chamber — examining what appears to be a small figurine, an open chest at his feet hinting at hidden contents. The atmosphere of quiet, conspiratorial tension makes this 1998 Glénat release a compelling chapter in one of French comics' most atmospheric explorations of royal mystery.