Halo: Escalation #23

A luminous, robe-clad figure dominates the center of Jean-Sébastien Rossbach's cover for this 2015 Dark Horse installment, her arms outstretched and a glowing Forerunner symbol radiating behind her as two very different conflicts unfold at her flanks — an armored soldier firing a weapon on the left and a civilian woman facing down an alien creature on the right. With writing by Duffy Boudreau and interior art by Douglas Franchin, Halo: Escalation #23 captures the sweeping tension the series does so well, blending human and alien drama against a richly painted cosmic backdrop.