Fearless Defenders #8

This design-sheet cover by Mark Brooks offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the visual development of a blonde, sword-wielding warrior — surrounded by annotated character sketches detailing her black-and-blue costume, metal shoulder disks, leather bracers, braided hair capped with metal spheres, and fur-trimmed boots. The central full-color figure stands confidently with crossed swords, while the surrounding pencil studies capture the kind of creative craft that goes into building a compelling new character. Cullen Bunn, Will Sliney, and Veronica Gandini's 2013 series continues to prove that Marvel's all-female team book has both style and substance to spare.