Invincible #19

Kirkman, Ottley, and Crabtree were firing on all cylinders by 2004, and issue #19 of Invincible shows exactly why — the cover alone commands attention, with Mark Grayson standing clenched-fisted in his blue-and-yellow costume as a massive stone figure looms behind him, both surrounded by bursting, fiery debris exploding outward in every direction. The tagline "Probably the Best Superhero Comic Book in the Universe" feels less like boasting and more like a reasonable claim when Ottley's clean, dynamic linework makes even a still image crackle with kinetic energy. With a story chapter subtitled "The Beginning of the Middle of the End," this issue promises the kind of escalating drama that made this series a standout on Image's 2004 roster.