Astro City #44

Astro City's knack for finding the human — and inhuman — heart of superhero life is on full display with this July 2017 Vertigo issue, whose title, "The Cat Who Walked Through Walls," sets up something genuinely intriguing. Alex Ross's cover painting draws the eye immediately to a masked, dark-caped figure perched on a stone gargoyle, cradling a tuxedo cat wearing a small golden medallion, the city's glass towers rising behind them. A golden-and-crimson costumed woman with flowing blonde hair hovers in the background, her gaze lifted skyward — a quiet but striking contrast to the rooftop stillness below. Kurt Busiek, Rick Leonardi, and the full creative team bring their characteristic warmth to this one, and that cat alone makes it hard to put down.