Astro City #17

A massive, purple-skinned giant dominates this Alex Ross cover for Astro City #17 — adorned with a golden crown and heavy coin-like medallions, he looms over a swirling vortex of energy at his feet where a cluster of costumed heroes struggle against the chaos below. The contrast between the towering, almost serene menace above and the frantic action at the bottom gives the image a striking sense of scale and dread. Kurt Busiek's "Sorrowsday" story, brought to life interiorly by Tom Grummett and a full inking team, promises the kind of richly layered superhero storytelling that has made this Vertigo series a genuine treat since its return.