Sam and Twitch #24

The cover of this 2003 Image title says it all — two world-weary detectives, the broad-shouldered Sam in a long black coat and the wiry, spiky-haired Twitch in his rumpled suit, stand back-to-back against a sepia-washed city street, each with a firearm at the ready. Ashley Wood's cover art gives the whole image a raw, sketchy atmosphere that perfectly suits the "Hard-Edged Crime Fiction" banner running across the top. Part five of "The John Doe Affair" is in capable hands with Todd McFarlane writing and the art team of Alex Maleev and Paul Lee bringing the gritty interiors to life.