C.O.W.L. #7

A stark, high-contrast cover sets the mood for "The Greater Good — Chapter 1: At the Brink," with a lone silhouetted figure standing amid scattered protest signs bearing the words "No Money, No Safety" — a striking image that speaks directly to the labor tensions at the heart of this Image series. C.O.W.L., the Chicago Organized Workers League, frames superhero unionism through a gritty 1960s lens, and this 2014 issue signals that the stakes are rising. Trevor McCarthy's bold black-and-white cover design, punctuated by sharp red lines, gives the whole thing a tension that's hard to shake.