4. Velvet #3 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting (Image)
Right away from the cover, the comic screams quality, from the upside-down Velvet pointing a gun at the reader to the image of her knocking out guards - the art is just flawless. If you're familiar with Steve Epting's work, you'll know how great it always is, but he's drawing at another level with Velvet, giving us page after page of stunning visuals and, arguably, the best art of his career. The series concept is basically if Moneypenny were as good a spy as James Bond. Velvet (Moneypenny) is framed for the murder of Agent X-14 (Bond) and is out to clear her name before getting killed herself! This issue even opens with a Bond-esque beginning: Velvet sneaking into a prison, then effortlessly taking out some guards before turning back to the camera and saying "Now where was I?". Very Roger Moore! The search for X-14's killer has taken her to Vienna, having enlisted the help of an old friend to get her out of Blighty. Looking for the trophy wife of a Yugoslavian General reveals the dark underbelly of communist states and its practices of making people disappear. The issue plays out in a way that I thought was predictable until the final couple of pages which flipped my expectations completely on how an interrogation scene would play out. It's a surprising and original scene while also being satisfying in how the minor character in this comic has her story resolved. If you're a fan of Cold War espionage thrillers in the style of Bond or John le Carre, you'll absolutely adore Velvet which ticks all the boxes for what you'd expect from a genre story along with terrific art as well. Velvet #3 is another fine issue in this excellent series from one of the industry's finest creative teams.