The Li'l Depressed Boy #3

The cover of this Image Comics series captures the intimate energy of a small venue show, with a brown-haired guitarist in a striped top throwing herself into her performance in front of a scattered crowd of onlookers — a tattooed woman, a guy in a beanie, and a few others watching from the edges. The Li'l Depressed Boy has a knack for finding big emotional resonance in everyday indie-rock moments, and this scene is a perfect snapshot of that sensibility. At just $2.99 in 2011, this third issue carries the quiet, heartfelt charm that makes the series such a distinctive corner of the Image lineup.