2000 AD #1676

Prog 1676 of 2000 AD puts the spotlight squarely on Stickleback as the cover promises a duel to the death with the Iron Maiden — and D'Israeli's striking black-and-white cover art delivers the tension in full, depicting a fearsome spike-armored figure locked in fierce close-quarters combat with a dark-cloaked, sharp-featured woman. The stark, ink-heavy composition gives the confrontation a genuinely gothic energy that feels right at home in Britain's galaxy's greatest comic. Inside, John Wagner and John Higgins continue "Tour of Duty: The Talented Mayor Ambrose," making this 2010 prog a satisfying package for fans of sharp writing and bold sequential art.