Up for a dose of classic ligne claire and adventure comics, Euro-style? Well, look no further! Welcome to the world of Tramp: maritime noir with exotic locales, insurance intrigue, shipowner skullduggery, and the titular steamer, a rusty bucket on trade routes of the mid-20th century. Jean-Charles Kraehn’s meticulous research is backed up by Patrick Jusseaume’s art in this loving ‘90s tribute to the long-running serials from the heyday of bande-dessinée.
With his ship newly repaired and his journey underway, first-time captain Yann Calec is plying the tramp routes from South Africa to South America. Still reeling from his lover Esther’s violent death, he is plagued by nightmares and the sneering insubordination of his second-in-command, René Floss. But remembered clues, strange events, and some vital information from a beautiful stowaway—a political refugee—will lead him down a trail revealing the full extent of De Trichère’s sinister plans to scuttle the Belle Hélène. Will Calec manage to escape the shipowner’s global web of co-conspirators?
The ongoing series continues with Deadlock, now available as a digital exclusive from EuropeComics on a number of platforms (Izneo, Kindle, Kobo, Google Play, and Comixology).