2000 AD #1297

The cover of 2000 AD Prog 1297 sets a fierce mood with two fighters caught mid-action against a blazing yellow-orange backdrop — Joe, a scruffy, intense man in a t-shirt dropping into a combat stance, and Aden, an armored woman in black and gold aiming a drawn blade with cool precision. The bold tagline "Warriors! Payback Time for Joe and Aden" promises exactly the kind of hard-edged confrontation this weekly anthology does so well, with cover art by Andy Clarke delivering sharp linework and real kinetic energy. June 2002's installment of "Sin City Part 9," with story and art by John Wagner and Kev Walker, looks like a chapter you won't want to skip.