Hawkman #34

The tagline "Myth & Mayhem!" says it all for this January 2005 issue, whose cover by Ryan Sook throws Hawkman — mace raised and wings spread wide — and a winged Hawkgirl directly into the path of a massive, red-furred beast with slavering jaws and murderous eyes. Sook's linework crackles with kinetic energy, making the creature feel genuinely threatening as both hawk-warriors press their attack. With Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Mick Gray on the creative team, "The Gift" promises the kind of mythic, hard-hitting adventure this series does so well.