This is probably my favourite comic. Corto Maltese. Even the name of the protagonist inspires adventures and dreams. Hugo Pratt’s drawing is rough and colourless. But once one manages to look beyond it, a new window appears filled by fragrances and mysteries. It is very rare to meet such a narrative exception. There are no happy endings, no big bad guy to defeat, and no common love stories… Corto is just following his desires and his aimless quests. He meets beautiful women, singular characters and hangs around with a crazy psychopath.
What I appreciate the most is the whole atmosphere. Pratt used a lot of historical facts and mystical episodes in his stories. The combination between hard reality and dreams create a very special feeling. What’s more, the characters all have a quirky charm. Eventually, the dialogues rock! They are a blend of poetry and simplicity.
ps: Here is a web map I made about 
It will give you a lot more information.
J’aime beaucoup Corto aussi. J’avoue que je lis moins de BD qu’à une époque et en fait aujourd’hui je suis surtout admirative du trait d’Hugo Pratt que je trouve intemporel et poétique. En plus ce personnage est vraiment beau ! Il existe des aquarelles de Corto Maltese vraiment magnifiques par exemple.
Ah ça me fait plaisir que tu aimes Corto! C’est vrai que les aquarelles sont aussi magnifiques. Si ça t’intéresse voilà un livre superbe:
http://livre.fnac.com/a1674905/Corto-Maltese-Autour-de-Corto-Aquarelles-1965-1995-Periples-imaginaires-Hugo-Pratt
One thing I like about Corto is that he is not your typical hero. One could even say he’s not a hero at all… he can be pretty nasty or selfish at times. If I remember well, the animation movie dealt a lot with that side of the character too. I found that really interesting.
I definitely agree with you. He is not a hero. That’s what make him so special and brings the lector close to him. Yet, I am crazy about Raspoutine, probably one of the greatest character ever! He is naturally evil, selfish and hilarious!
Agreed, but I think Corto has much better looks