Avengers Arena #6

From the creative team of Dennis Hopeless and Kev Walker, this 2013 Marvel NOW! entry into the survival-thriller series presents a striking Mike Del Mundo cover that says everything about the series' premise in one image. A group of young heroes — painted with tribal markings and armed with axes, staffs, and assorted weapons — poses as a tight-knit faction in shallow tropical waters beneath a tattered "Avengers Arena: Murder World" banner, looking battle-worn but defiant. It's a compelling visual snapshot of teenagers forced to forge alliances in an unforgiving environment, and "Pawn Takes King" as a story title suggests the chess-like power dynamics are about to shift in a very meaningful way.