Sheriff of Babylon #8

Tom King and Mitch Gerads's acclaimed Vertigo series continues with issue #8, "Let Us Go," and John Paul Leon's cover sets an appropriately tense, visceral mood — a chaotic street scene unfolds against a billowing explosion, with civilians scattering, a child on a small bicycle caught in the scramble, and a figure collapsed on the ground while others rush past an archway shrouded in smoke and amber light. The earthy, war-worn palette captures the series' grounded portrait of occupied Baghdad with striking economy. Suggested for mature readers, this 2016 installment is exactly the kind of serious, craft-driven comics work that rewards close attention.