Buffy the Vampire Slayer #21

Issue #21 kicks off "The Blood of Carthage" with a cover that puts Buffy squarely in harm's way — blonde hair flying, she's caught mid-stride in a moonlit forest setting as two massive, clawed demon creatures loom in from either side, their glowing eyes and feathered, monstrous forms closing in fast. Cover pencils by Jeff Matsuda and inks by Jon Sibal give the scene a kinetic, almost cinematic tension that suits the story's opening-chapter energy perfectly. With writing by Christopher Golden and art by Cliff Richards inside, this 2000 Dark Horse series was clearly firing on all cylinders.