Criminal Macabre: Cell Block 666 #3

The penultimate chapter of "Cell Block 666" arrives with a cover by Tim Bradstreet that pulls no punches: a battered, bandaged Cal McDonald lies surrounded by a sea of skeletal and decayed corpses, cradling one ghoulish figure in what reads as equal parts grim intimacy and sheer exhaustion. It's a striking image — haunted, moody, and very much in keeping with the dark world Steve Niles has built around his hard-luck detective. With Nick Stakal on interiors and Michelle Madsen's colors rounding out the creative team, this 2009 Dark Horse series continues to deliver horror noir at its grittiest.