Keepers of the Maser
This is the first thing I've actually scanned for S_D.
Frezzato's Keepers of the Maser, an Italian comic (originally published in French, I believe), that I stumbled upon at Comic-Con a couple years ago. The story is nearly inconsequential, reading sort of as a pastiche of Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, but the mixed media art is absolutely gorgeous. It's published stateside by Heavy Metal, and as one might expect from the publisher, there is the occasional naked or otherwise exposed person running about. They certainly don't dominate the story, and are quite often not meant to titillate at all (I'm looking at you, Queen of the Dwarves). They are a bit pricey, being nice oversize European-style albums, which, incidentally, makes them rather difficult to scan.
There are robots, dwarves, airships, great character designs, and giant whale-things. Fantastic visual candy all-around.
The cover from vol. 2 (of the initial six albums). Check out the reflections in the goggles! I was in awe.
The back of Volume 2 has a lovely little "encyclopedia" section titled "KOLONY: The Essential Survival Guide." It contains little world-building cultural explanations and cross-sections of various buildings and machinery. This is the sort of thing I've loved seeing in comics since I was a kid. And yeah. Blatantly swiped from the Nausicaa manga.
Dwarves are scary.
Seriously.
The romance angle is seriously non-existent, but I'm a sucker for this stuff.
The cover of vol. 5. Another gorgeous portrait.
Vol. 5 again includes a little encyclopedia segment. This time, "THE TOWER: The Essential Survival Guide." I love the sentient robot suits.
The art looks a bit more hasty and less modeled in vol. 6, but the sudden shift toward surreal dayglo colors actually did suit the story nicely.
Vol. 6 also includes an absolutely adorable photo montage epilogue.
There is a seventh volume which Frezzato wrote, but did not draw that set up the beginning of a second story, but I don't think he's pursued it further. And to be honest, without his art, the setting seems a little less rich. There's also a heftier sketchbook volume full of Frezatto's graphite preliminary work. Process is always fascinating; his is also just as gorgeous as his finished work.