Invincible Iron Man Annual #1

This Eisner Award-winning series delivers an oversized annual with a striking yin-yang composition by cover artist Salvador Larroca — Iron Man's gleaming gold-and-red helmet occupying one half of the circle while a brooding, long-haired figure with piercing red eyes mirrors him on the other, the two faces locked in silent opposition. The story's title, "Mandarin: The Story of My Life," signals that writer Matt Fraction is putting one of Iron Man's most formidable adversaries front and center, with art by Carmine Di Giandomenico and colors by Matt Wilson. At $4.99, this 2010 annual offers a rare extended look at the conflict between hero and villain told with real visual elegance.