Kinetic #8

The final issue of DC's Kinetic arrives with a cover by Warren Pleece that captures the series' grounded, teen-drama sensibility beautifully — our hero stands front and center in his red costume and swim goggles, a "T" emblazoned on his chest, while a group of laughing, gawking classmates crowd in behind him in what looks like a school hallway. It's an image that says everything about the awkward reality of being young and superpowered, where the costume doesn't automatically command respect. Kelley Puckett and Warren Pleece close out their run with the ominously titled "And Then You Die," making this a fitting capstone to one of 2004's more quietly compelling DC series.