Astonishing X-Men #4

Mystique lounges with unsettling confidence on a throne built entirely from skulls and bones, raising a glass as though toasting her own supremacy — it's a striking image that immediately signals danger for the X-Men in "Life of X Part Four." Carlos Pacheco and Rafael Fonteriz craft a cover that's equal parts menacing and darkly theatrical, making clear that whatever is unfolding in this 2017 arc, Mystique is very much at the center of it. Charles Soule's run continues to deliver compelling tensions, and this issue looks like a compelling reason to stay invested.