Dungeons & Dragons: Cutter #4

The penultimate chapter of IDW's Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms — Cutter arrives with a cover by Steve Ellis that crackles with tension: a fierce dark-elf woman brandishes a gleaming sword at the center while a cloaked male warrior looms behind her, both surrounded by a snarling press of gnoll-like creatures closing in from every side. Written by R. A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore with interior art by David Baldeón, this 2013 series brings genuine Forgotten Realms pedigree to a story subtitled "A Dark Path" — and that cover makes the title feel entirely earned. If you've been following this five-issue run, issue #4 is clearly where the pressure hits its peak.