Action Comics #44

Part of the "Lies" arc, this November 2015 installment of Action Comics finds Superman in a genuinely desperate spot — the cover by Aaron Kuder and Klaus Janson shows a cape-less Man of Steel in his street-tough blue t-shirt and S-shield, teeth gritted, driving a fist through a storm of dark metallic shards that pierce and surround him from every angle. It's a striking image of raw defiance over power, perfectly suited to "Hard Truth Part Four," with Greg Pak, Kuder, and Howard Porter all contributing to what promises to be an intense chapter. If you've been following this run's grittier, street-level take on Superman, this cover alone makes a compelling case to pick it up.