John Carter: The Gods of Mars #2

Part two of Marvel's five-issue adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' The Gods of Mars arrives with a striking cover by Julian Totino Tedesco — a moonlit vessel cuts through an eerie, cavern-like waterway while a bare-chested John Carter and a blue-skinned Martian companion grip their weapons, flanked on both sides by shadowy, watchful figures lurking in the rocky alcoves above. The cool blue atmosphere and sense of creeping danger make this 2012 series feel like a genuine pulp adventure rendered with quiet, painterly confidence. With Sam Humphries writing and Ramón Pérez illustrating, this limited series brings Burroughs' Barsoom to life in a way that's hard to put down.