Death of the New Gods #2

Issue two of this eight-part 2007 DC series puts the stakes front and center with a cover showing Superman locked in a fierce, physical clash with Orion — two powerhouses trading blows in an intense face-off that radiates raw tension. In the background, a pale blue figure reacts in apparent alarm, hinting at a wider cast being drawn into whatever cataclysm the title promises. Jim Starlin and Matt Banning bring a kinetic energy to the image that makes "Celestial Genocide" feel like an apt subtitle for what's unfolding across New Genesis and Apokolips.