Avengers / Thunderbolts #3

Issue three of this 2004 crossover miniseries brings the tension between Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the Thunderbolts to a sharp edge. The cover, penciled by Barry Kitson, puts Hawkeye front and center with arrow drawn and ready, while a long-haired blonde figure — her expression cool and calculating — looms in the foreground; between them, a glowing armored figure hovers with arms outstretched in an eerie, almost cruciform pose. With Busiek and Nicieza co-writing and Grummett and Erskine handling interior art, "Three: Nerves" promises exactly the kind of simmering, character-driven conflict that makes this Avengers/Thunderbolts pairing so compelling.