I, Vampire #13

Part of DC's New 52 lineup, I, Vampire #13 from December 2012 spotlights a tense, wintry confrontation that's hard to look away from — a fierce blonde woman wielding a raised axe bears down on a snarling, pale-skinned figure whose clawed hands suggest something decidedly inhuman. The cover copy asks point-blank whether Deborah Dancer is a cold-blooded killer, framing the issue's central tension with real dramatic punch. Clayton Crain's painted cover work gives the whole scene an icy, unsettling atmosphere that pairs beautifully with Joshua Hale Fialkov's writing and Andrea Sorrentino's interior art.