The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery #3

Jacob Phillips's cover for issue #3 of this DC Vertigo Ezra Cain mystery series says everything you need to know about the tone: a battered, scarred man raises his fists in a deep red cityscape, bruised but unbroken and ready for more punishment. That moody, painterly palette — all smoldering crimsons and shadows — perfectly suits a chapter subtitled "Broken Glass & Spilled Beer." Chris Condon and Phillips are crafting something that feels genuinely noir, and this third installment looks like a compelling place to feel that tension tighten.