IDW Publishing/EuroComics; $29.99

Jean-Pierre Gibrat’s prequel to Flight of the Raven, introduces Cécile (the sister of Flight of the Raven’s protagonist, Jeanne) and how she met Julien Sarlat during the German Occupation of France in June 1943. Flight was one of my top picks last year, so this one has a lot which to live up. We can be happy that it does so, and does so with style. Each of the pages in The Reprieve is an impressive work of art. By itself, that doesn’t automatically make for a great graphic novel, but in this case that art includes superior storytelling. Gibrat’s ability to tell his tale and create the moods he’s looking for so beautifully is what sets his work apart.

-J.C. Vaughn