The Darkness #4

The Darkness #4 was published by Top Cow Productions in 1996 as part of the initial arc introducing Jackie Estacado, a mob hitman who inherits an ancient, parasitic power. Created by Marc Silvestri, Garth Ennis, and David Wohl, the series emerged during the mid-90s boom of supernatural anti-hero comics, leveraging the visceral artistic style that defined the Image Comics aesthetic of that era.

The issue features iconic cover art by Marc Silvestri, whose clean yet aggressive line work was instrumental in establishing the dark, cinematic tone of the series. The collaboration between Ennis's gritty narrative sensibilities and Silvestri’s visual design was well-received by fans of the mature-readers superhero genre, helping to cement the title as a flagship property for Top Cow and ensuring the character's longevity in various media.