Astro City #21

From Vertigo's acclaimed series, this May 2015 issue brings a quietly arresting image courtesy of cover artist Alex Ross: two costumed figures — one in sleek armored plating, the other in a star-spangled suit — lying tangled together on crumpled fabric, their stillness suggesting exhaustion, injury, or something more complicated. It's exactly the kind of intimate, ground-level perspective that makes Astro City so compelling, trading spectacle for emotional weight. Kurt Busiek, Brent Eric Anderson, and Alex Sinclair continue their thoughtful exploration of superhero life with "The End of the Trail," and this cover alone earns your attention.