Bastard Samurai #2

The cover of this 2002 Image series pulls you in close — uncomfortably close — with an extreme low-angle portrait of a dark-haired figure whose round glasses reflect a cold, pale light, wild strands of hair cutting across the frame like brushstrokes. It's a striking, mood-heavy composition from cover artists Kelsey Shannon and Mike Avon Oeming that says everything about the series' blend of quiet menace and sharp-edged style. With writers Oeming and Miles Gunter steering "The Field Trip" and Shannon's moody colors setting the tone, Bastard Samurai #2 is the kind of indie gem that earns its attitude.