2000 AD #1617

This prog from "The Galaxy's Greatest Comic" arrives with a brooding, atmospheric cover by John Higgins — a close-up double portrait of a cold-eyed man in amber-tinted shades, silenced pistol raised and ready, with a green-lit woman looming behind him in shadow. The tagline "With Extreme Prejudice — Blake's on the Termination Trail" sets a suitably tense mood for what's inside, including "The Ecstasy Part 1" from writer John Wagner and artist Paul Marshall. A solid 2009 entry in 2000 AD's long-running anthology tradition, with cover art that keeps its cool while promising anything but.