Hard Time #2

From DC's Focus imprint, Hard Time #2 (2004) plunges readers into the oppressive world of "The Big House" with a cover by Tomer Hanuka that immediately establishes the series' unsettling tone. The prison yard scene is dominated by inmates in orange jumpsuits, but the eye is drawn to a sickly, glowing yellow-green figure at the center — something clearly not quite human amid the crowd of wary, watchful prisoners. Steve Gerber, Mary Skrenes, and Brian Hurtt bring this world to life inside, and Hanuka's layered, tension-filled cover makes a compelling case for picking this one up.