Adventures of Superman #7

The tagline says it all — "More Powerful Than a Locomotive!" — and the cover by Chris Sprouse and Karl Story delivers on that promise, showing Superman braced between massive steel train cars, cape billowing as he strains to hold the machinery at bay with calm, focused determination. It's a beautifully clean composition that captures everything essential about the Man of Steel: strength tempered by purpose, set against the gritty industrial weight of Metropolis infrastructure. With Lapham handling writing and art alongside colorist Lee Loughridge, this January 2014 anthology issue looks like a confident, heartfelt celebration of Superman at his most elemental.