Raging Clouds

Korean artist Yudori unfolds an erotic, feminist-infused tale of yearning in her fiery debut. In Renaissance-era Holland, Amélie, the young wife of a merchant, feels constricted by social mores, exasperated by her marriage, and fascinated by the mechanics of flight. She’s happiest when her husband, Hans, is away on business, freeing her to pursue her interests. (“All she knows how to do is stare at books and eat!” the household servants sniff.) Then Hans brings home a purchase from his latest trip abroad: an enslaved Asian woman, called Sahara (though this is not her real name). Amélie resents the newcomer, who soon replaces her in Hans’s bed, but as time passes the two women recognize that they are trapped together. “Hans has the face of a man who deserves everything,” Amélie despairs as her husband blithely robs her of all that matters—her scientific discoveries, her freedom, and her budding feelings for Sahara. Yudori brings 16th-century Europe to life with a crisp line that turns elegant and sinuous, and she lavishes detail on art, jewelry, clothing, and clockwork. The characters’ expressive faces and body language add humanizing moments and touches of humor to the historical drama. This artsy manhwa soars. (May)