Zagor LU #112: Crni brod -

In Crni brod, Zagor and Chico’s Caribbean voyage turns into a struggle against enemies who find shelter in darkness and the open sea. Their vessel, the Paloma, is attacked by Captain Van Zant’s notorious Black Ivory. Yet these are more than ruthless seamen: an encounter with Countess Ylenia Varga has transformed the attackers into the undead.

Mauro Boselli brings vampire horror aboard ship, where escape is almost impossible. The approaching enemy vessel, the threat of boarding and the confined decks create a different kind of suspense from adventures in Darkwood. Zagor must confront creatures against whom conventional fighting methods are no longer enough.

Maritime adventure and Gothic horror reinforce one another. Pursuit and physical combat are accompanied by a supernatural menace that turns a ship into a moving place of terror. Ylenia’s involvement also brings back one of the series’ distinctive vampire characters.

Raffaele Della Monica’s artwork is particularly effective in its storm-tossed ships and frightened sailors. This issue opens the two-part adventure concluded in Ludens #113, Božica mjeseca. Reading both provides the complete development of the maritime mystery and its vampire conflict.