Sandman Mystery Theatre #39

Sandman Mystery Theatre #39 pulls you into the brooding atmosphere of 1996 Vertigo at its most compelling, with a cover by Gavin Wilson and Richard Bruning that frames a cold, shadowy cityscape of brick buildings, bare winter trees, and iron fire escapes — the urban sprawl itself feeling like a character weighed down by secrets. The haunting quote layered over the image — "...the rows of brick and steel, filtering through the city's hatred and shame" — sets a perfectly noir tone for "The Mist: Act Three of Four." With Matt Wagner and Steven T. Seagle writing and Guy Davis on art, this Vertigo noir series continues to deliver a moody, literary take on the Golden Age Sandman that fans of crime fiction won't want to miss.