Adventures of Superman #479

Few covers from 1991 pack an emotional punch quite like this one: Superman stands head bowed, clutching a tattered American flag to his chest against a backdrop of smoldering ruins and a toppled "Welcome to Metropolis" sign, the Man of Steel looking not invincible but heartbroken. Andy Kubert's cover art — both penciled and inked by him — gives the scene a raw, almost mournful weight that suits the story's title, "Red Glass, Part Two: Falling Apart," perfectly. With Hudnall, Hannigan, and Blyberg bringing the interior to life, this is the kind of issue that reminds you why Superman stories can carry genuine emotional stakes.