Deathblow #0

Deathblow #0 sets a stark, visceral tone with Jim Lee's cover — both penciled and inked by Lee — depicting a battle-worn, heavily armed Deathblow emerging from a blasted, skeletal landscape, blood on his face and a large blade in hand. The near-monochromatic rendering gives the image a raw, gritty intensity that suits the character perfectly. With Brandon Choi and Lee on the writing duties and Trevor Scott contributing interior inks, this 1996 Image zero issue is a solid entry point into one of the Wildstorm era's harder-edged soldier stories.