Aliens vs. Predator: Eternal #1

Glenn Fabry's cover for this 1998 Dark Horse miniseries opener says everything you need to know about the tone: a grotesque, enlarged Alien fills the frame with its dripping mandibles and singular cyclopean eye, while a heavily armed Predator crouches defensively behind a curved shield in the foreground, surrounded by more Xenomorphs pressing in from the shadows. It's a viscerally tense composition that sets the stage for Ian Edginton and Alex Maleev's four-part story "Eternal." If you've ever wanted to see these two franchises go head-to-head with genuine atmosphere and craft, this first issue is a compelling place to start.