Dept. H #16

The haunting close-up of a weathered, white-bearded man dominates this issue's cover — his wide, searching eyes and deeply lined face rendered in Matt Kindt's distinctive ink-and-watercolor style, conveying equal parts exhaustion and unease. The series tagline "murder six miles deep" reminds us that this undersea mystery thriller has plenty of pressure bearing down on its characters. Issue #16 of Dept. H continues to showcase what makes this 2017 Dark Horse series stand out: Kindt's expressive linework paired with Sharlene Kindt's evocative color washes create something that feels as much like fine art as sequential storytelling.