American Century #7

American Century #7 brings Howard Chaykin and David Tischman's Vertigo series to a tense, morally ambiguous place, summed up neatly in the story title "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished." John Van Fleet's cover art sets the tone beautifully: a battered, world-weary man holds a pistol while a woman leans in close to press her lips to his temple — an embrace that reads as equal parts affection and threat. With art by Dick Giordano and inks by John Stokes inside, this 2001 issue promises exactly the kind of noir-soaked intrigue that earned Time.com's praise quoted right on the cover.