2000 AD #1486

Five battle-hardened star-troopers — labeled Kal, Smith, and Ryx among them — stand shoulder-to-shoulder in heavy combat armor beneath a massive military spacecraft, their expressions grim and resolute on this 2006 cover by Anthony Williams. The bold "Lock and Load" tagline makes the promise clear: The V.C.s are back for a final battle, and this prog delivers that tension right from the front page. With Judge Dredd, Lobster Random, and Low Life also teased in the header strips, Prog 1486 is a satisfyingly packed Wednesday read.