Ascender #12

Dustin Nguyen's gorgeous watercolor cover for Ascender #12 assembles a striking ensemble — a brooding warrior woman with arms crossed, a dark-haired youth clutching a massive weapon, a pale red-haired figure armed and ready, a battle-worn man looming in the background, and the ghostly profile of a large face emerging from smoky chaos — all rendered with that moody, painterly texture Nguyen fans will instantly recognize. Jeff Lemire and Nguyen's sci-fi/fantasy series continues to deliver a world that feels both haunted and alive, and this issue's cover composition, swirling with deep crimsons and grays, suggests a cast pushed to its limits. A compelling chapter in one of Image Comics' most visually distinctive ongoing series.