Midnight, Mass. #1

Vertigo's 2002 supernatural series kicks off with this striking first issue, written by John Rozum with interior art by Jesús Saiz and inks by Jimmy Palmiotti. Tomer Hanuka's cover sets an arresting tone: a pale man and red-haired woman share an intimate moment while surrounded by snarling pink monsters — one a fanged beast above, another a horned creature below — as the man grips a sword and the woman raises a pistol, all against a vivid yellow backdrop. The tagline "'Til Death Do Them Part" hints at a partnership forged somewhere between romance and the macabre, making "Bluebeard's Castle" a compelling opening chapter for this mature-readers series.