If you thought one of the most acclaimed crime comics of 2015 couldn’t get any grittier, you’d be wrong.

As part of the extras-loaded The Black Hood Vol. 1: The Bullet’s Kiss trade paperback, Dark Circle Comics proudly announced today that best-selling crime writer Lawrence Block has written an exclusive introduction to the graphic novel. The book collects the first five issues of the well-reviewed series from fellow crime novelist Duane Swierczynski and artist Michael Gaydos, plus many behind-the-scenes extras.

The Black Hood Vol. 1: The Bullet’s Kiss takes readers into the life of a hero cop who finds himself scarred, addicted, and broken by his job and showcases his journey to becoming a painkiller-addicted vigilante intent on cleaning up the corruption in Philadelphia.

Swierczynski’s grounded and unrelenting look at a desperate and broken man’s search for meaning in an unforgiving world is brought to noir-drenched life by artist Michael Gaydos and the somber pallet of colorist Kelly Fitzpatrick.

The Black Hood Vol. 1: The Bullet’s Kiss coincides with the return of the ongoing series in October featuring comics legend Howard Chaykin as the special guest-artist for Black Hood #6!