Criminal #7

Sean Phillips's cover for Criminal #7 captures the brooding tension that makes this series so compelling — a cigarette-smoking young man looms large in cool teal tones, his hard-edged stare dominating the image, while a couple locked in a passionate embrace is framed against his chest like a ghost of longing or danger. The layered composition perfectly mirrors the title's noir sensibility, blending romance and menace in a single glance. Ed Brubaker and Phillips continue "Cruel Summer Part Three" with this 2019 Image release, and if this cover is any indication, the heat — emotional and otherwise — is far from letting up.