Case Files: Sam & Twitch #13

A cigar-chomping detective leans over a bar — a frosty mug of beer at his elbow and a pistol leveled at someone just out of frame — setting the mood for exactly the kind of gritty, street-level crime drama the series promises. Cover art by Greg Capullo brings a moody, painterly tension to this "Hard-Edged Crime Fiction" installment, with shadow and smoke doing as much storytelling work as the gun itself. With Steve Niles and Todd McFarlane on the script for "Cops & Robbers," issue #13 looks like a thoroughly satisfying dive into the dangerous world Sam & Twitch navigate one case at a time.