Green Arrow #21

Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino's acclaimed New 52 run on Green Arrow reaches a milestone with issue #21, and the cover — a shirtless Oliver Queen straining against massive coiling serpents against a sickly green sky, a mountain range looming blood-red below — signals that the "Kill Machine" arc is closing on anything but a quiet note. Sorrentino's stark, unsettling composition captures Oliver at his most vulnerable and defiant all at once, with the promise of "Deadly Secrets!" etched dramatically across the image. This August 2013 chapter is a vivid showcase of the dark, visceral visual language that made this creative team's tenure so compelling.