Jack Kirby's Fourth World #20

The cover by Walter Simonson says it all: a stone-faced Darkseid dominates the right side of the image, red eyes smoldering with cold authority, while Superman charges forward in the background alongside an armored ally — all of them converging on a young woman lying unconscious in what appears to be an open coffin. John Byrne's run on Jack Kirby's Fourth World consistently delivered this kind of high-stakes cosmic drama, and issue #20 — also featuring a "Superman in Supertown" bonus story — looks to be no exception. If you've been following this series through 1998, this cover alone makes it clear the tension between the New Gods and the Man of Steel is far from resolved.