Alias Ultimate Collection #2

Marvel MAX's Alias Ultimate Collection Volume 2 brings together Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos's gritty series in one substantial package, and David Mack's cover art alone makes a compelling case for picking it up. The image is visually arresting: a torn-page effect splits the cover between a bold, halftone-printed comic-book face on the left and a richly painted, watercolor portrait of a dark-haired woman on the right — the contrast between flat pop-art style and luminous fine-art technique feeling deeply intentional. At $34.99, this 2010 collection is a generous chunk of one of Marvel's most mature, street-level stories, wrapped in cover art that's as thoughtful as the series itself.