Black Panther #5

The cover of this 1999 Marvel Knights issue sets a striking, cinematic tone — a lone young boy stands barefoot at the center of a golden savanna, flanked by rows of warriors bearing shields, while the imposing masked visage of Black Panther looms overhead with glowing eyes. Surrounding him in a portrait arrangement are four other figures: a weathered elder, a wary-looking young man, and two women, suggesting a cast full of competing loyalties and weight. Writer Christopher Priest and artist Vince Evans deliver a composition that feels more like a prestige film poster than a typical superhero cover, making "Lord of the Damned" one of the more visually compelling entries in this run.