Transmetropolitan #19

Darick Robertson's cover for this March 1999 Vertigo issue sets an immediately arresting tone: a bald, shirtless man with tinted goggles stands flanked by two armed women — one blonde holding a submachine gun, one dark-haired gripping a pistol — all three silhouetted against an enormous, unsettling yellow smiley face. The story arc "The New Scum" begins here, and Warren Ellis, Robertson, and Rodney Ramos are clearly bringing plenty of attitude to this dystopian future city. If you like your comics sharp-edged and alive with personality, this is a great place to dive in.