FF #5

Jonathan Hickman's ambitious FF series reaches its fifth chapter with "...the Sound of War," brought to life by artist Barry Kitson with colors by Paul Mounts. The cover by Mark Bagley and Andy Lanning sets a foreboding tone: the Thing, a figure in a sleek black suit, and a blonde woman lie sprawled and defeated on the ground, while a blazing, silhouetted figure looms above them, energy radiating outward in blinding beams of light. It's a striking image of power and consequence that makes this 2011 issue hard to pass up.