IDW Publishing; $29.99

There’s a reason that the EuroComics editions of Hugo Pratt’s Corto Maltese have been nominated for both the Eisner and Harvey Awards, and Celtic Tales, the latest in the series, makes it abundantly clear.

Celtic Tales quickly steps out of the ambience and pacing of the first two volumes, yet even the injection of World War I into the story does not radically alter the underlying mood and sense of adventure. With the move to Europe from South America, there’s a lot more action almost right off the bat. It definitely makes things seem more immediate, but Pratt’s storytelling continues to offer most of its intrigue with its humanity. There are still strong traces of Caniff’s influence in the approach, but fans of George Evans’ EC war stories will find a bit of kindred spirit present, and at points it even feels like there’s a dose or two of Moebius mixed in.

This is the third volume in the definitive English language edition of Corto Maltese with its new translation by Dean Mullaney and Simone Castaldi. It continues to be a wonderful gift to readers, particularly those of us who like to think we’ve read all the “important” graphic novels.

– J.C. Vaughn