Criminal #8

The Eisner-nominated Criminal continues its "Lawless" arc with this third chapter from writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips. Sean Phillips's cover art is all moody atmosphere — a lone figure in a dark coat grips a bottle as he stands before illuminated shelves packed with liquor, the bold two-tone palette of deep blue and amber giving the scene an almost noir-cinematic tension. It's the kind of cover that earns those two Eisner nominations, including Best New Series, and makes picking up this 2007 Icon release feel like the only sensible choice.