COVER STORY: Breathtaker #2

What makes the best comic book covers? It is a great topic for debate. For us, as individuals, there is no wrong answer, of course; it is purely subjective. But, with a little thought it’s possible to explain what it is about a particular image that grabs you. The best images are the ones that make you stop and check out something you weren’t previously planning to purchase – and in some cases, you even end up picking up a title you’ve never even heard of before.

This cover screams sex and violence in the dramatic sense – but it also says so much more.

Originally published by DC Comics in 1990 with all four issues later collected as the first Vertigo trade paperback release, Breathtaker chronicles the story of Chase Darrow, who is on the run from the government because of her unique and deadly “talent.” With the NSA having their lead agent, The Man, on her trail, the agency has given her the codename of “Breathtaker.”

“(Mark Wheatley and I) tried to make the storytelling as compelling and readable as possible,” Marc Hempel said. “Is it cutting edge? Yes, I think so. But, I just did my thing. I cut loose. It was after (my tenure on) Jonny Quest. I took Mark’s script and paneled it all down, since it was prose. Together, we made the story very cinematic.

“I didn’t work full script until years later. Neil Gaiman worked full-script when I drew Sandman. It was very descriptive. Everything I have done in the last 30 years has featured contrast: Light/dark, male/female, youth/age, funny/dramatic, ridiculous/depressing. I like to play out the contrasts in a storytelling sense.”

This eerie, but nevertheless eye-catching, cover for Breathtaker #2 does so as well – and should be a must-have addition to your collection.

–Scott Braden