Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan #3

The penultimate chapter of J. Michael Straczynski and Adam Hughes' four-part miniseries, "Ego Sum" arrives with one of the most visually striking covers of 2013: Dr. Manhattan's luminous blue figure stands silhouetted against a towering nuclear fireball, serene and motionless as a wall of fire and devastation surges around him. Adam Hughes renders the contrast between that cool, impossibly calm blue form and the churning orange inferno with real painterly power, making the image feel both vast and intimate. It's a compelling visual meditation on a being who exists beyond human consequence — and a strong reason to have this issue on your shelf.