Countdown #24

With just 24 weeks left before Final Crisis, this chapter of DC's sprawling weekly series carries a cover by Claudio Castellini that says everything with stunning visual economy — a figure consumed by roiling solar fire screams in agony while a darker, armored presence looms behind him, and the bold tagline "Lex Luthor… Fired!" promises that someone's day is about to get considerably worse. The composition crackles with tension, Earth itself visible in the background as if the stakes couldn't get any larger. Paul Dini, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Justin Gray are at the helm of "Prime Example," with interior art from Tom Derenick and Wayne Faucher keeping the momentum of this ambitious countdown burning bright.