Before Watchmen: Comedian #1

The Comedian's black leather mask dominates this striking opener to the six-issue Before Watchmen prequel series — a single streak of blood cutting across the forehead while a wide, zipper-toothed grin and a well-chewed cigar project the character's unsettling bravado straight off the page. Writer Brian Azzarello and artist J. G. Jones kick off "Smile" with cover art that wastes no words announcing exactly the kind of menacing, irreverent figure at the series' center. It's a bold, close-up statement of intent for readers ready to explore the darker corners of this world.