After the Cape II #2

After the Cape II continues Image/Shadowline's grounded, deeply human take on life beyond the superhero spotlight. Sergio Carrera's cover painting pulls no punches — a disheveled, bloodied man in a rumpled suit cries out in anguish as he cradles an unconscious woman in a spreading pool of red, the stark black background amplifying every raw emotion on display. Writers Jim Valentino and Howard Wong are clearly not letting up on the emotional intensity that makes this series stand apart from the spandex-and-punching crowd.