Azrael #1

This first issue of DC's 2009 Azrael series announces itself with a striking Jock cover: a hooded, masked figure in deep crimson robes leaps dramatically against a stark white sky, one gauntleted fist raised, while a swirling flock of birds scatters around him in silhouette. The image is atmospheric and spare, suggesting a character caught between violence and something almost spiritual. Writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Ramón Bachs, inked by John Stanisci, kick off "Angel in the Dark" — a title that fits this brooding, airborne figure perfectly.