Black Panther #31

The brooding, close-up composition of this 2001 Marvel issue puts T'Challa's masked face front and center — his glowing eyes and powerful frame filling the frame with quiet menace. Reflected in the visor of his cowl is a chained young woman in a fighting stance, a haunting image underscored by a cluster of skulls and ceremonial adornments visible along the lower portion of the cover. Writer Christopher Priest and the art team of Sal Velluto and Bob Almond were firing on all cylinders during this run, and this striking cover for "Seduction of the Innocent, Book 1: Disciple" sets a tense, atmospheric tone that's hard to look away from.