Das Dritte Testament #1

Das Dritte Testament, or The Third Testament, is a historical fantasy comic series written by Xavier Dorison and illustrated by Alex Alice. The first issue was published in France in 1997 by Glénat, emerging during a period of renewed interest in European graphic novels that blended theological mystery with meticulous, atmospheric period settings. The narrative follows a medieval inquisitor searching for a forbidden text, drawing heavy inspiration from the dark, intellectual tone of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose.

Alex Alice’s design for the series is defined by a cinematic approach to composition and a rich, painterly color palette that evokes the austerity of the fourteenth century. The series was met with significant critical acclaim for its ambitious world-building and narrative depth, eventually cementing itself as a seminal work in the European Franco-Belgian bande dessinée tradition. The first issue successfully established a visual language of shadow and symbolism that would define the entire four-volume arc.