2000 AD #1809

Against a blazing red background, this 2012 prog from Rebellion pits a menacing armored figure with glowing red eyes — sword raised high — against a foreboding close-up of a clown-nosed man in a fedora, the cover's tagline daring to ask whether "Point" is about to receive the ultimate punchline. Tiernen Trevallion's cover art delivers real tension in the contrast between the poised, blade-wielding warrior and the eerily composed clown-hatted figure looming in the foreground. Inside, Al Ewing and Henry Flint continue "The Cold Deck" with colors by Chris Blythe and lettering by Annie Parkhouse — a solid creative lineup for what looks to be a sharp, darkly comic confrontation.