VANCE

WILLIAM VANCE XIII Secret défense (T.14), Dargaud 2000 Original cover of the first edition. Signed. Mixed media on paper 37.5 × 49.9 cm (14.76 × 19.65 in.) The album Secret Défense was a surprise when it was released in 2000. Everyone thought that XIII was ending with its 13th episode and that the album L'Enquête, a sort of Companion Book illuminating the saga, served as its conclusion. A big mistake. XIII escapes thanks to Jessica Martin, who is seen here in majesty, a killer who plays a double game and from whom the hero with the white temple will have difficulty to get rid of. This cover - XIII covers on the market have become rare - is of a rather simple composition: the hero's face overhangs Jessica's silhouette in an opposition between warm (XIII) and cold (the slayer) colors. This kind of close-up is always perilous but fortunately William Vance, who received a good advertising training when Photoshop hardly existed, manages it brilliantly.