Shaft: Imitation of Life #2

The neon-drenched streets of a seedy urban strip set the mood perfectly on Matthew Clark's cover for this second chapter of Shaft: Imitation of Life — John Shaft stands armed and alert, fur-collared leather jacket and all, against a backdrop of XXX marquees and blinking lounge signs that practically pulse with 1970s grit. Writer David F. Walker and artist Dietrich Smith are deep into "Easy Money" territory here, and the tension radiating off this cover makes it clear Shaft is exactly where trouble lives. A sharp, atmospheric installment from Dynamite's 2016 series that captures the character's cool-under-pressure presence with real style.