Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant by Tony Cliff

Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant  is a webcomic by Canadian artist Tony Cliff, now also available in paper. The tale begins in Istanbul in 1807. Delilah is an intrepid daredevil who lives for excitement.

Her resume includes learning to survive in the jungles of India at a young age, being the master of forty-seven different sword-fighting techniques, being a high-ranking member of at least three royal courts, and being able to pick any lock and escape any restraint. She has nerves of steel and owns cool stuff like a sailboat that can take to the skies.

Erdumoglu Selim is a refined and peaceful Turkish lieutenant who lives for a nice cup of tea and is a man of words rather than action.

Here, Selim contemplates the attraction of a secure
and settled life.  I love the 3-D effect of the
word balloon slipped behind his hand.

Selim politely refuses when the owner of a tea shop tells him it's on the house.

"Be assured - I appreciate your kindness. Your generosity is a great credit to you, and goes not unnoticed. And kind as you are, I know you'll not be offended by my modest request that you do me the personal favour of accommodating my insistence on recompense."

Dirk and Selim are an unlikely duo, paired by circumstance. Their madcap adventures are great fun for all ages, from 11 and up.

Readalikes: Les aventures extraordinaires d'Adele Blanc-Sec (Jacques Tardi); and, for younger readers: Tower of Treasure (Scott Chantler); and Polly and the Pirates (Ted Naifeh)