The Walking Dead Deluxe #45

Two heavily armored survivors — a broad-shouldered man gripping an assault rifle and a dreadlocked woman raising a firearm — stand back-to-back over a pile of fallen walkers in a dense, shadowy forest, projecting hard-won confidence in every line of David Finch's cover. Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and Dave McCaig's Deluxe recolor treatment continues to give this post-apocalyptic saga a vivid, modern polish that rewards both longtime readers and those discovering it for the first time. Issue #45 is a compelling reminder of why this series has kept its grip on readers well into 2022.