Most Popular Books by Hugo Pratt

In this affectionate tribute to his home town, Hugo Pratt offers a complex mystery thriller involving Freemasons, occultists, and esotericists set during the rise of Fascism in 1921. Corto Maltese''s return to Venice is ostensibly a search for an emerald known as the Clavicle of Solomon, but by the end he is left questioning whether the object of his quest will open the hidden doors of magic and unravel the nature of time and space in this city of secrets...or if it''s merely "the stuff that dreams are made of," as was the black bird of Dashiell Hammett''s novel featuring another Maltese. Series winner of the Harvey Award for Best American Edition of Foreign Material.

International award-winning graphic novelist Hugo Pratt''s Corto Maltese returns to American readers in a new collection of classic Corto tales, featuring a brilliantly executed wild chase through Venice for a vital occult treasure!

"Set in the snowy wastelands of Canada around 1912, this provocative graphic novel deals with complex moral choices. Jesuit Joe, the protagonist, is of French-Canadian and Mohawk descent and is embarked on an obsessive religious search for the Absolute. His actions reflect a disturbed personality with an unorthodox ethical code. He kills with terrible ease and reveals an unmatched cruelty and ferocity, yet when his mood suddenly shifts, he is capable of unexpected acts of kindness and compassion. He wears the red serge jacket of the Canadian Mounties that he found in a hut, which gives rise to a series of misunderstandings when he is mistaken for a member of the Canadian Mounted Police, and is tracked by his nemesis, Sergeant Fox, whose mission is to capture Jesuit Joe and bring him to justice." Page 4 of cover.

In this final entry of Hugo Pratt''s epic series, the master graphic novelist returns to the theme he first explored in the initial episode--the search for the lost continent of Mu, the mythical Atlantis. A premonition hovers over the entire dreamlike story, as if fate had decided in advance that this would be Corto Maltese''s last adventure. The feeling is underscored by the return of most of the major characters seen throughout the long-running saga, like actors giving their final curtain call: Gold Mouth, Morgana, Tristan Bantam, Levi Colombia, Professor Steiner, "the Monk," Cain Groovesnore, Soledad, and (of course) Rasputin...each with their own reason to find the mythical realm. Thus, the circle closes. This EuroComics edition features new translations from Pratt''s original Italian scripts by Dean Mullaney, the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning editor of the Library of American Comics, and Simone Castaldi, Associate Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures at Hofstra, and the author of Drawn and Dangerous: Italian Comics of the 1970s and 1980s (University Press of Mississippi).

"In this final entry of Hugo Pratt''s epic series, the master graphic novelist returns to the theme he first explored in the initial episode--the search for the lost continent of Mu, the mythical Atlantis. A premonition hovers over the entire dreamlike story, as if fate had decided in advance that this would be Corto Maltese''s last adventure. The feeling is underscored by the return of most of the major characters seen throughout the long-running saga, like actors giving their final curtain call"--Amazon.com.

Nominated for both the Eisner and Harvey Awards for Best Foreign Language Publication! With this book Pratt leaves behind the short story form he’d used for twenty-one interrelated tales and presents a truly epic graphic novel. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution and the First World War, Corto Maltese is engaged by the Red Lanterns—a Chinese secret society made up entirely of women—to find an armored train laden with gold that belonged to the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II. They aren’t the only ones lusting after the treasure. The adventure, which shifts from the hidden courts of Venice to the mysterious alleys of Hong Kong, from Shanghai to Manchuria and Mongolia to Siberia, also attracts regular and irregular armies, as well as revolutionaries and counter-revolutionaries. The sweeping plot allows Pratt to fully investigate the complicated and competing motivations of his cast that includes the return of Rasputin and the introduction of the cold and dangerous Duchess Marina Seminova, the enigmatic warrior/spy named Shanghai-Lil, and historical figures such as the "Mad Baron" Roman Ungern-Sternberg, a Russian general who who sees himself as the modern-day Genghis Khan!

This book, the first of twelve volumes, launches the definitive English-language edition of Hugo Pratt''s masterpiece, presented in the original oversized B&W format and with new translations made from Pratt''s original Italian scripts... The adventures of this modern Ulysses are set during the first thirty years of the 20th Century in such exotic locales as Pratt''s native Venice, the steppes of Manchuria, the Caribbean islands, the Danakil deserts, the Amazon forests, and the waves of the Pacific.

Set in the years 1921-22, the action leaps from Turkey, to Azerbaijan, and to the Caspian Sea, tracing the path of the legendary Silk Road, as Corto hunts for the fabled treasure of Alexander the Great.

Continuing Dark Horse''s comprehensive English collection of Italian comics master Milo Manara''s work, this volume features the enthralling historical epic El Gaucho, the second of Manara''s storied collaborations with his mentor Hugo Pratt, author of the internationally acclaimed Corto Maltese. Rounding out this offering is Trial by Jury, a series of captivating shorts in which some of history''s most notorious figures undergo a mock trial. With The Manara Library, English-language readers have the opportunity to experience the illustrative storytelling of a true comics master.

This album contains the first two episodes in the series: On the Trail of War and The Angel of Love. On the trail of war. End of 1940. Ethiopia. A private army forms around Koïnsky, a Polish soldier working for the British army. The aim? To bring together Commonwealth troops and Ethiopian patriots to create the conditions for an uprising against the Italian colonialists, supported by the Germans and the French of the Vichy regime. The angel of love and the angel of death. January 1941, Karthoum, Sudan. The military strategy for the reconquest of Ethiopia finally becomes clear. It is during this episode that Koïnsky meets Stella, an Italian lieutenant with whom he sympathizes despite their belonging to opposing camps. Chased by brigands, they are saved by the Beni Amar guide Cush. The main character in this series is Lieutenant Koinsky, a Pole who joined the British army after his country''s surrender. We follow him on a series of adventures and encounters (Judittah Canaan, Cush, Stella, etc.) in which we recognize Pratt''s style, reminiscent of the adventures of Corto Maltese. Koinsky, however, "is much tougher, more modern, less anarchistic than Corto, which makes him, in a way, closer to us." (Didier Platteau, in the introduction to the book).

Night of the Devil by comics legend Hugo Pratt is the fourth in a major series of new collections - joining the War Picture Library’s mission to bring all of the long-lost UK of war comics master artists back into print. "A rare chance to see one of the undisputed greats of the comic book medium growing into the full strength of his talents." - Hollywood Reporter In Night of the Devil, take a hallucinatory trip through the oppressive heat of the Burmese jungle along with British soldiers engaged in desperate skirmishes with the enemy. In Bayonet Jungle, Private Jack Green’s presence is seen as an omen of bad luck but he struggles to prove himself to the experienced soldiers of Third Platoon as they fight against the Japanese army that surrounds them. Two exciting and explosive war stories lushly illustrated by Hugo Pratt, comics legend and creator of iconic character, Corto Maltese. Praise for previous War Picture Library volumes: "Lives up to expectations – both in story and art." - Downthetubes "There is no doubt that Battle Stations, and the titles following it, are sure to find their home among modern comic fans once again." - The Beat

1774. Criss Kenton, a 17 year old who has fled Virginia after the massacre of his family by the Indians, and Patrick Fitzgerald, an English aristocrat who has immigrated to America, make each other’s acquaintance while participating in a series of organized raids on Indian tribes. During one of these raids they meet Mohena, a young woman who has been raised by the Shawnees. As their adventures unfold, the friendship between Criss and Pat grows stronger, but soon the War of Independence against England breaks out and the two friends find themselves on opposing sides. A great story of friendship and loyalty, Wheeling leaves ample room for History, as many of its characters actually existed. In that regard, Pratt said, “In Wheeling, as in other stories, I try to imagine something imaginary embedded in the context of precise historical references. But at times the truth is more surprising than the imagination.” (Hugo Pratt, All’Ombra di Corto)

The secret of Tristan Bantam: Tristan, who has inherited precious papers that tell of the lost kingdom of Mû, has a dream that portends an apparently incomprehensible fate. At Paramaribo, in the sultry heat of Dutch Guyana, Corto finds himself entangled in a sordid tale about a stolen inheritance, while surrounded by such strange characters as Kerster, an unscrupulous lawyer; Jeremiah Steiner, a former university professor, and Madame Java, “hotel” manager and expert knife thrower… Rendez-Vous in Bahia: Corto Maltese, Steiner, and Tristan Bantam sail for Bahia to meet Morgana, Tristan’s half-sister. She has their father’s notes concerning the lost continent of Mû, the very papers Tristan glimpsed in his dreams; even the Indians have predicted that his fate lies there. But in Bahia, a lawyer by the name of Milner tries to kill Tristan. Corto exposes Milner and beats him at poker; he wins and Milner loses his life. The treasure hunt can now continue on its way towards Itapoa. Surest Samba: At Itapoa, Corto, Tristan, and Steiner meet Bocca Dorata, the great voodoo sorceress who raised Morgana and initiated her into black and white magic. For a thousand pounds, Corto accepts Gold Mouth’s proposal to take weapons and money to the Cangaceiros led by Sureshot, rebels fighting in the Brazilian Sertão against the big landholding oil tycoons and their henchmen. Corto and his friends will get tangled up in these conflicts and will have to choose sides. The Basilian Eagle: Corto, Tristan, and Steiner sail along the Brazilian coast in search of the wreck of a Spanish galleon loaded with gold. It is supposed to be somewhere in the vicinity of Marajò Island, at the mouth of the Amazon River. But they are not the only ones on this treasure hunt; they’re part of a plan hatched by Bocca Dorata. Not only will a German baron and a British secret agent intervene, but also the dangerous Jawbreaker, whom Corto will have to confront. The character of Rasputin, the friend-enemy considered by many to be Corto’s evil alter ego, reappears on the scene from the times of the Ballad in the episode And we’ll talk again of the gentlemen of fortune, in an adventure centred on the search for a fabulous treasure, set in Saint Kitts in the Antilles, The cycle closes with Seagull''s Fault, wherein, despite itself, it is this very bird (which Pratt so loved to draw because of the sense of freedom it gave off in flight) which is the main character of the story set on an island near British Honduras.

An adventure in the yellow sands of North Africa, following the coast of the blue sea toward Djibouti and Dire Dawa, Captain Koïnsky’s final destination. The journey features a colorful theater of characters in succession. The Polish officer starts out with two degenerate Indochinese riflemen that he ran into by pure chance. Next he bumps into the singular soldier Gallina, faithful to his Breda, a priceless armored vehicle which proves essential for continuing along the difficult way. At that point a guide is needed, and a sensuous Dankal woman, Ghula, comes on the scene. She is lithe of body, but her dagger is always ready to strike. Accompanying her behind the scenes is a band of libertarian warrior women. Then it is the turn of the beautiful Madame Brezza of the “Brise de Mer,” the legendary brothel in Djibouti. It’s a far cry from the classic war story; everything spins around as if on a merry-go-round where anything can happen and then change again—even a German motor torpedo boat will change its name and flag. It’s the world that Pratt experienced as a boy, a world that left an impression on him and ultimately changed him. In this dramatic and romantic story there are silent heroes who sacrifice everything so that Pratt can have Koïnsky carry on, and that tough soldier, just like the author, will not remain unaffected.

A fort in Dancalia February 1941. Attacked by an Italian plane, Loïnsky and his friends Hassan and Akavia become separated. Loïnsky finds refuge in an Italian fort in the Dancalian region, Fort Giuletti. Here he meets two new characters: Lieutenant de La Motte, a camel rider who has chosen to join the resistance, and an Asaimara warrior. One surreal episode follows another to create a surprising tragicomic fresco, which the various actors (an alcoholic Italian commander, a disillusioned doctor, the French rebels and the beautiful Kismet...) only serve to make even stranger... Mundane conversation in Moulhoulé, February 1941. The African shore of the Red Sea (French Somali coast). Koïnsky and de La Motte leave Fort Giuletti, and enter an area controlled by the terrible Danakils. Their car jumps out, and the two men reach the Moulhoulé fort. Fanfulla, the fort''s Italian commander, the Frenchman, and the Pole begin their famous mundane conversation somewhere between fiction and reality. The main character in this series is Lieutenant Koinsky, a Pole who joined the British army after his country''s surrender. We follow him on a series of adventures and encounters (Judittah Canaan, Cush, Stella, etc.) in which we recognize Pratt''s style,reminiscent of the adventures of Corto Maltese. Koinsky, however, "is much tougher, more modern, less anarchistic than Corto, which makes him, in a way, closer to us." (Didier Platteau, in the introduction to the book).

Collects two of Manara''s major works: the historical saga El Gaucho, the second of Manara''s epic collaborations with his mentor Hugo Pratt, and Trial by Jury, a series of shorts never before published in the U.S., in which nine of history''s most notorious figures undergo a mock trial.

Set in Dutch Guyana and the surrounding region, this graphic novel recounts some of Corto Maltese''s very first adventures. From the author of THE CELTS and BALLAD OF THE SALT SEA.

Après une bonne introduction du dessinateur, ornée d''une suite d''aquarelles touchant le western, cet album présente une nouvelle ##L''attaque du fort## (1970), quelques ##Légendes indiennes## et le court roman (1962) qui fournit son titre à cet excellent Hugo Pratt.