The Twelve #2

Marvel's "thrilling novel of tomorrow" gets a stylish showcase in this 2012 hardcover collection, with Paolo Rivera's painted cover depicting a purple-suited, masked figure in mid-action — gun drawn, magenta cape billowing — set dramatically against the oversized keys of a vintage typewriter and a looming shadowy face. Rivera's painterly work gives the whole image a pulpy, noir atmosphere that feels perfectly suited to J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston's story of Golden Age heroes rediscovered. It's a handsome package that wears its retro-adventure heart proudly on its sleeve.