Captain America: Steve Rogers #16

The "Secret Empire: Opening Salvo" banner sets a foreboding tone for this 2017 chapter of Nick Spencer's run, and Daniel Acuña's cover delivers the unease perfectly — Steve Rogers stands in full Captain America uniform, shield in hand, while Hydra emblems loom in the shadowy background, casting everything in an ominous green and black palette. That cold, unflinching stare from beneath the cowl says everything about where this story is heading. With Spencer writing and Rachelle Rosenberg's moody colors throughout, this issue marks a charged moment in one of Marvel's most talked-about storylines of the year.