Sin City: That Yellow Bastard #3

Part three of Frank Miller's "That Yellow Bastard" arrives with a cover that pulls no punches — a lone figure, head bowed and bloodied, sits hunched on a stool beneath harsh, crossing spotlights, rendered almost entirely in stark silhouette against a cold grey backdrop. The splash of red at the figure's neck is the only color that breaks the shadow, and it speaks volumes about the kind of punishment Sin City deals out. Miller's cover work here is as spare and atmospheric as noir gets, making this 1996 Dark Horse installment a genuinely compelling addition to the series.