Sandman Mystery Theatre #47

Part noir photograph, part golden-age movie poster, the cover of this 1997 Vertigo title frames a masked woman — her dark eye-mask and intense gaze filling the frame — leaning close to a mysterious figure in what feels like the intimate tension of a speeding car at night. The pulpy taglines promise danger, intrigue, and an unexpected whisper of romance, all perfectly in keeping with the series' moody, pre-war atmosphere. "The Blackhawk" arc reaches its third act here, with cover work by Gavin Wilson and Richard Bruning delivering the kind of shadowy glamour that makes Sandman Mystery Theatre such a distinctive corner of the DC/Vertigo universe.