Azrael #7

Francesco Mattina's painted cover for this June 2010 DC issue pulls no punches — Azrael is depicted in a hauntingly visceral close-up, his masked face bloodied and mouth agape in what reads as raw, agonized fury, rain lashing the dark scene around him. The title "Slow Death" promises a story as brutal and unrelenting as that image suggests, with writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Ramón Bachs (inked by John Stanisci) at the helm. If you've been following this series, issue #7 looks like a turning point where the character's suffering is front and center.