Imperial #3

Marvel's Imperial continues with issue #3, featuring a striking cover by Marco Checchetto that frames the series' grand cosmic stakes beautifully. At the top, an enormous hand maneuvers chess pieces — several of which contain miniaturized heroes including a golden-haired figure and a white-costumed character — while a young woman in blue looks on, suggesting powerful forces treating heroes as pawns in a larger game. Below, a photo-within-the-cover depicts two cloaked figures tumbling through a starry void, one in a sweeping red cape and another in pink, adding an intimate, almost melancholy counterpoint to the cold strategic imagery above. Jonathan Hickman's ambitious storytelling instincts are clearly matched by the visual ambition on display here, with Federico Vicentini, Iban Coello, and colorist Federico Blee bringing the interior pages to life.