Hellblazer #273

Simon Bisley's cover for Hellblazer #273 pulls you in close with a striking portrait of a battered, mohawked John Constantine — cigarette tucked behind his ear, gold chains heavy around his neck, a pink carnation pinned to his leopard-print coat — leaning cheek-to-cheek with a sharp-nailed, wide-grinning woman in a black hat and hoop earrings. The intimacy of the pose crackles with an edge of danger, and the blood on Constantine's face makes it clear this third chapter of "Bloody Carnations" hasn't been easy on him. With Peter Milligan writing and Giuseppe Camuncoli and Bisley sharing interior art duties, this January 2011 Vertigo issue is a compelling snapshot of the series at its most vivid and unsettling.