The story is set up towards the end of the nineteenth century and takes place among Rome, Ethiopia (the only African country that, in this period, resisted European imperialism) and Eritrea, Italian colonies in Africa.
The main character is "Volto Nascosto", a mysterious Islamic warrior and prophet whose face is covered with a silver mask and who, in the story, leads the resistance of Ethiopian people against foreign invaders. (His figure was based on real Islamic legends.)[citation needed] However, the series doesn't only revolve around Volto Nascosto, but deals with various characters, whose events continuously intertwine with each other. This multiplicity of voices is a rather innovative aspect of Bonelli's publishing house.[citation needed]
The characters playing around Volto Nascosto are:
Ugo Pastore, an honest and loyal young man, skilful in the use of a pistol. After changing several jobs, he adapts himself to an accountant's role at a notary's office;
Enea Pastore, Ugo's father and the owner of the Caput Mundi firm;
Menelik II (a real historical figure), the King of Ethiopia and Taytu's husband;
Taytu (a real historical figure), the Queen of Ethiopia and Menelik's wife;
Vittorio De Cesari, Ugo's best friend, a cavalry lieutenant from a noble family, fond of adventure and beautiful women;
Matilde Sereni, a Roman girl from a wealthy family, the victim of a nervous illness. Ugo is in love with her, but she loves Vittorio (who, however, doesn't return her feelings).
As it is clear from this short description, the series has a strong literary inspiration and deliberately merges elements from different genres, from classic adventure to historical novel and nineteenth century feuilleton. This last aspect is particularly evident not only in the choice of the serial formula, but also in the presence of some typical situations: the love triangle, the sensitive girl with a mysterious past, etc., which directly recall the topoi of nineteenth century novels and operas.
Another interesting feature of the story is the setting in late nineteenth century Italy, a not very well known period of Italian history and an unusual choice for a comic-book series.
The issues
Volto Nascosto's adventures are published monthly, in the usual format of Sergio Bonelli's comic books (paperbacks 16x21 cm (6.3x8.3 in), with 96 pages).
