Badlands

Steven Grant and Vince Giarrano crafted this gritty six-issue Dark Horse series, a taut crime thriller set in the seedy underbelly of a small desert town. Debuting in 1991, Badlands follows a drifter caught between a corrupt sheriff and a dangerous criminal enterprise, blending neo-noir atmosphere with stark, visceral storytelling. A cult-classic example of early '90s independent crime comics, it stands as a potent showcase for Grant's hardboiled dialogue and Giarrano's moody, cinematic art.