24: Nightfall #2

Joe Corroney's cover for this 2006 IDW series captures the tension of the 24 universe perfectly — Jack Bauer crouches in the foreground, pistol in hand, while a suited target is framed dead-center in a sniper's crosshairs behind him, the whole scene punctuated by bullet holes and a ticking digital countdown running from 16:00 to 19:00. It's a sharp visual distillation of everything that makes this franchise work: time pressure, high stakes, and a man who never stops moving. Writers J. C. Vaughn and Mark Haynes, with art by Jean Diaz, bring the world of Nightfall to life in what was already shaping up to be a compelling prequel miniseries.