Hitman #9

From Garth Ennis and John McCrea, this December 1996 opener to the "Local Heroes" arc sets the tone with a cover that's equal parts swagger and melancholy. McCrea's cover depicts Tommy Monaghan — suited up, gun in one hand and a bottle tilted to his lips — standing among autumn leaves in what looks unmistakably like a graveyard, the looming silhouette of a headstone framing him against a clear blue sky. It's a perfectly composed image that captures the character's irreverent charm while hinting at the weight of the world he moves through.