Aquaman #16

The cover of this 2017 DC Universe Rebirth issue frames the question perfectly: "Peace in Our Time?" — with a looming, glowing-eyed shadow threat lurking above a coastal town in ruin casting serious doubt on that prospect. Aquaman stands resolute in the foreground, his golden scale armor gleaming, while Mera stands at his back, red hair flowing and crown in place, as a group of surface-world civilians and a law enforcement officer face the wreckage behind them alongside a dog. Dan Abnett's script, rendered here by cover artists Brad Walker and Andrew Hennessy, sets the tension between uneasy diplomacy and unmistakable danger right on the surface.