IVX #5

The penultimate chapter of Marvel's 2017 clash between two of its most powerful factions arrives with a cover by Leinil Francis Yu that says everything about the state of the war: a magenta-suited, shaved-headed figure bearing a bold "M" emblem stands composed at center while dozens of skull-faced, incapacitated warriors from both sides — recognizable X-Men uniforms and Inhuman armor alike — crumple and writhe around her in a swirling mass of defeat. It's a striking visual that positions one lone figure as the fulcrum of a conflict that has clearly reached a devastating turning point. Written by Charles Soule and Jeff Lemire with interior art by Javier Garrón and colors by David Curiel, this issue promises the kind of escalating tension only a war between two proud, superpowered peoples can deliver.