Black Widow #11

The casino setting on Phil Noto's cover for Black Widow #11 says it all — Natasha Romanoff, red hair up and expression coolly calculating, stands beside a dark-haired woman at a gaming table where a knife is planted deliberately among the chips, all under the glow of a jackpot sign. Watchful, dangerous-looking figures lurk in the background, making the whole scene crackle with understated tension. Nathan Edmondson and Noto's 2014 run continues to deliver this kind of stylish, slow-burn atmosphere that sets it apart from the rest of Marvel's lineup.