Avengers: The Children's Crusade #2

The second chapter of this nine-part Marvel limited series brings the tension between generations of heroes to a boil, with a cover by Jim Cheung that puts a claws-out, snarling Wolverine front and center, charging straight at the viewer in his yellow-and-black costume. Behind him, a red-clad young hero surges forward with energy blazing at his fist, while a sprawling cast — including figures recognizable as Spider-Man, Black Cat, and members of the Young Avengers — fills the background in a sweeping crowd composition. Allan Heinberg and Cheung were already delivering one of 2010's most visually ambitious ensemble stories, and this cover makes a strong case for it.