Ruse #1

This 2011 Marvel/CrossGen revival pairs writer Mark Waid with artist Mirco Pierfederici for a gaslit detective thriller that announces its premise right on the cover: "He's the World's Greatest Detective. She's even better." The cover by Butch Guice and Mike Perkins sets the tone beautifully — a brooding, caped detective strides forward wielding a walking stick while a determined blonde woman in Victorian dress raises a lantern behind him, shadowy figures looming in the crimson-hazed background. It's a sharp, atmospheric opening to what promises to be a clever, character-driven mystery series.