Descender #18

Dustin Nguyen's watercolor cover for Descender #18 is a genuinely unsettling piece of work — a pale, bald, grimacing figure looms at center, surrounded by a radiating burst of jagged, blade-like forms tinged with red and gold that feel simultaneously organic and mechanical. The composition pulls the eye straight into that menacing grin, giving the whole image an ominous, almost ritualistic energy. Jeff Lemire and Nguyen continue their "Orbital Mechanics" arc here, and this striking Image Comics entry is a fine reminder of why this creative team earned such devoted readers in 2017.