Incredible Hercules #128

Set against the gritty backdrop of Marvel's 2009 Dark Reign era, this issue of The Incredible Hercules plunges headlong into the "Gauntlet" storyline with a cover — penciled and inked by David Williams — that crackles with kinetic energy. A white-haired figure bearing a skull emblem commands the center of the composition, surrounded by a fierce clash of heroes and villains in mid-air above a cityscape, including a Wolverine-like figure in yellow, a flaming young hero, a dark armored figure, and combatants trading blows across every corner of the frame. With Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente at the helm and art from Dietrich Smith and Terry Pallot inside, this issue promises the kind of sprawling, mythology-meets-Marvel-Universe chaos that made this run such a treat.