7 Miles a Second #[nn]

The cover of this Fantagraphics graphic novel pulls you straight into a raw, neon-lit cityscape where a young man in jeans and a white t-shirt races forward as dark roots erupt from the pavement beneath his feet, threatening to drag him down. Flanking him are two haunting medallion images — a skeletal, exposed-brain figure on the left and a figure consumed by flames on the right — framed against a blazing red sky and towering urban skyline. James Romberger's linework crackles with urgent energy, making 7 Miles a Second feel like an essential 2012 release that refuses to look away from life lived at the edge.