Fatale #17

Sean Phillips's cover for Fatale #17 sets an immediate tone of dread: a scarred, otherworldly figure in a suit stares directly outward, flanked by two stone-faced men in dark suits, fedoras, and sunglasses, while a blood-red background and a glimpsed cane in the foreground add an extra layer of menace. Ed Brubaker and Phillips were deep into their noir-horror saga by this 2013 installment, and the trio on display here radiates the kind of quiet, unstoppable threat the series does so well. Titled "Interlude," this issue promises a moment to breathe — though with this creative team, that rarely means a rest from tension.