Black Panther #47

Against a brooding crimson and purple sky, T'Challa looms large in the foreground — eyes blazing gold, the vibranium necklace gleaming at his chest — while a trio of figures face him: a winged-helmeted warrior, a masked figure in a wide-brimmed hat, and a long-haired, bearded man in a duster coat, all rendered with crisp authority by cover artist Jorge Lucas. The gathering tension on this 2002 cover perfectly sets the mood for "Saddles Ablaze Conclusion," the final chapter of what is clearly an ambitious, genre-blending arc from writer Christopher Priest and artist Jorge Lucas. If you've been following this run, issue #47 looks like a satisfying payoff.