Mara #1

Ming Doyle's striking cover for this 2012 Image series opener presents Mara herself in sharp graphic style — a composed, battle-marked young woman in a dark athletic uniform, blood on her cheek, set against a bold red-and-black geometric backdrop with a futuristic cityscape and a volleyball behind her. The visual tension between the sport imagery and that steely, battle-worn gaze signals something more complex than a simple athletics story. Brian Wood and Jordie Bellaire round out the creative team, and the whole package makes a confident, stylish case for this series right from issue one.