Thief of Thieves #9

The tagline says it all — "There is nothing he can't steal, nothing he can't have… except for the life he left behind" — and Martinbrough's cover captures that tension perfectly, showing a sharp-eyed man tearing through a photograph of a couple embracing, his cold focus cutting right through the warmth of what he's destroying. That image of a life glimpsed through ripped paper is quietly devastating, and it sets a tone that feels more like crime noir than superhero spectacle. Kirkman, Asmus, Martinbrough, and Serrano are delivering one of Image's most grounded, character-driven series in 2012, and issue #9 looks every bit as compelling as what came before.