Victor Lavalle's Destroyer #[nn]

"Chapter One" of Victor LaValle's *Destroyer* introduces a haunting, emotionally charged story where Akai, a young boy bound to a powerful machine, confronts the Monster after it kills Josephine and Pliers. Written by Victor LaValle and illustrated by Dietrich Smith, with colors by Joana Lafuente and letters by Jim Campbell, the issue unfolds with a quiet intensity, building toward a devastating revelation: Akai discovers his mother’s consciousness lives within his programming. The cover, by Micaela Dawn, captures the weight of that moment in a single, striking image.