Antoine Cosse's latest work is a deeply felt –  and deeply cryptic – meditation on the relationship between natural resources, family dynamics and polical power that takes place in a fantastic realm that is like and unlike our own.  The work intersects at multiple points and in various ways with works as disparate as De Chirico, Chester Gould, Frank Santoro, Anders Nilsen, Joe Kesslar, Manuele Fior and Kevin Hooyman – among others.  Metax is a natural resource at the center of an empire.  Metax is a full size 292 page hardcover graphic novel, printed on flat white paper, that tells the story of the "castle intrigue" surrounding the control of this substance.  Cosse throughout employs his trademarked strong and clear linework and lush washes employing deep brown tones – along with a color section that stands out by virtue of its contrast – to bring us this story of a violent contest between corruption and freedom.