Corto Maltese

Hugo Pratt’s Corto Maltese follows a laconic, enigmatic sea captain drifting through the political and mystical chaos of the early 20th century. Corto isn't a typical hero. He’s a romantic and a rogue—a smuggler who famously carved a "fate line" into his own palm with a razor because he refused to accept the destiny he was born with.

Spanning from 1904 to the 1920s, the series drops Corto into real historical conflicts across the globe, from the trenches of WWI to the Russian Civil War and the jungles of South America. He hunts for lost continents, aids revolutionaries, and constantly bickers with his treacherous, unhinged frenemy, a fictionalized version of Rasputin. Along the way, he crosses paths with real figures like Jack London, Butch Cassidy, and Enver Pasha.

Pratt blends pulp adventure with poetry, melancholy, and folklore. Corto rarely sets out to save the day; he’s just a free spirit trying to mind his business, but who inevitably takes a stand when pushed.