Sandman Mystery Theatre #53

Vertigo's atmospheric noir series opens a new four-part arc with this quietly unsettling 1997 issue, "The Crone Act One of Four." The cover by Gavin Wilson and Richard Bruning presents a close, almost disquieting photograph-like composition: a pair of intense, deeply lined eyes staring out from above a vintage radio volume dial, evoking the shadowy world of late-night Manhattan drama teased by the cover's own tagline. With Seagle, Wagner, and Davis bringing their moody sensibilities to the interior, this is the kind of pulp-soaked Vertigo storytelling that rewards readers who like their mysteries slow-burning and atmospheric.