Hard Looks #5

Andrew Vachss and Neal Barrett Jr. bring their signature hard-edged noir to this fifth installment of Dark Horse's Hard Looks, with a cover by Gary Gianni that practically drips menace. The image pulls you right into a grimy bathroom scene — a well-dressed man in sunglasses and gold chains stands at a sink, his reflection staring back in a cracked, graffiti-scarred mirror, while a second figure looms behind him with a gun drawn. Gianni's linework captures that dangerous, claustrophobic tension perfectly, setting the mood for Barrett's story "Treatment" brought to life inside by artist Chris Moeller.