Image Firsts: C.O.W.L.

Set in 1960s Chicago, C.O.W.L. is a creator-owned Image series that reimagines superheroes as unionized public employees, exploring the gritty political and labor struggles behind the capes. Launched in 2014, the series is visually defined by Trevor McCarthy's lush, painted artwork, which brings a moody, period-specific atmosphere to this grounded take on the genre. Though this entry is a single-issue reprint sampler, the series itself stands out for its mature, noir-inflected examination of heroism as a job, not just a calling.