Guardians of the Galaxy #2

This 2009 trade paperback collects the Guardians of the Galaxy during Marvel's sprawling War of Kings crossover, and Clint Langley's cover makes a strong case for why this team belongs at the center of the cosmic conflict. The assembled Guardians surge forward in a blaze of fire and energy — Rocket Raccoon bristling with heavy weaponry at the top, Drax and a blue-skinned figure flanking the charge, with the team's cosmic arsenal on full display. Abnett, Lanning, Pelletier, Walker, and Craig deliver the kind of intergalactic tension that reminds you just how much was at stake in Marvel's universe in 2009.