Dying Is Easy #[nn]

From Joe Hill and Martin Simmonds comes this sharp noir-comedy series, and the cover sets the tone perfectly — Syd Homes, stand-up comic and ex-cop, stands in a police lineup holding a microphone like it's the most natural thing in the world, his colorful Hawaiian shirt a vivid contrast against the stark height markers behind him. A Police Department booking sign bearing his name and a frothy pint of beer complete the darkly funny tableau, suggesting a man equally at home on a bar stool and in a precinct. It's a wonderfully off-kilter image that balances crime-story grit with genuine wit.