Buffy the Vampire Slayer #14

Dark Horse's Buffy the Vampire Slayer #14 from 1999 arrives at part five of the "Bad Blood" arc with a cover that radiates menace and tension — a dark-coated, bleached-blond figure (unmistakably Spike) grips a dark-haired woman from behind beneath a pale full moon, their clasped hands suggesting anything but comfort. Lurking in the background, a pale, wide-eyed figure clutches a blade, watching the scene unfold with unsettling calm. Cover pencils by Jeff Matsuda and inks by Jon Sibal give the whole composition a sharp, atmospheric edge that captures the series' blend of supernatural dread and complicated relationships perfectly.