Art Ops #8

Art Ops #8 kicks off "Popism" with a cover by Michael Allred that feels like a midnight stroll through a city that never quite decided what decade it belongs to. A androgynous figure in fishnet stockings, a "DOLL" t-shirt, and an oversized jacket stands confidently on the sidewalk, surrounded by neon signs advertising cocktails, a psychic reader, and "Bang Bang," with a guitar case and vintage luggage piled at their feet. Shaun Simon and Allred's Vertigo series wears its pop-art heart on its sleeve, and this street-level composition — buzzing with color and urban energy — makes for an inviting entry point into what promises to be a stylish new arc.