American Century #5

Howard Chaykin and David Tischman's Vertigo noir series continues with issue #5, "The Protector," and the cover by John Van Fleet sets an immediately tense mood — a uniformed officer aims a revolver with cool menace while holding a limp or unconscious woman in his arms, a "Wanted" poster visible on the shadowy wall behind him. The palette of burnt oranges and deep browns gives the scene a suffocating, pulp-thriller atmosphere that earns every word of Entertainment Weekly's comparison to James Ellroy and Graham Greene. With a creative team that includes penciler Marc Laming and inker John Stokes on interiors, this 2001 Vertigo title was delivering sophisticated, morally complicated storytelling for mature readers.