Astro City: The Dark Age #2

Against a field of pure black, Alex Ross's painted cover crackles with raw, kinetic energy — a figure consumed entirely by fire and exposed bone tears across the frame while a cluster of costumed heroes, glowing with neon greens and magentas, press forward in fierce pursuit. The contrast between that blazing skeletal form and the cool luminescence of the heroes makes this a genuinely striking piece of painted art. Kurt Busiek and Brent E. Anderson's *Astro City: The Dark Age* Book Two collects what promises to be an unflinching look at superheroics during a harder era, and this 2010 volume is a handsome showcase for everything the series does so well.