National Comics: Rose & Thorn #1

Part of DC's 2012 National Comics one-shot initiative, this self-contained issue pairs writer Tom Taylor with artist Neil Googe for a story titled "Trigger." Ryan Sook's cover art delivers an unsettling, beautifully composed image: a red-haired girl in a school uniform leans toward her bedroom mirror, but the reflection staring back is something else entirely — a dark-clad, punk-styled figure grinning with an arsenal of weapons visible behind her. That visual split between the wholesome and the dangerous sets an immediately compelling tone for whatever this dual-natured character is about to face.