Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #26

Season Eight's "Retreat" arc kicks off with issue #26, and Jo Chen's painted cover sets a beautifully atmospheric tone — Buffy gazes ahead with quiet resolve at the top, flanked by a red-haired Willow holding a flame in her palm and two other familiar figures, all looming above a grinning, muscle-exposed supernatural figure that radiates genuine menace. Writer Jane Espenson joins the Buffyverse with artist Georges Jeanty, inker Andy Owens, and colorist Michelle Madsen to carry the story forward under executive producer Joss Whedon's banner. It's a compelling ensemble portrait that makes "Retreat, Part 1" feel like must-read territory for any fan of the series.