Journey into Mystery #626

Part of Marvel's 2011 Fear Itself crossover, this issue of Journey into Mystery features a striking cover by Stephanie Hans — a young, green-clad Loki stands defiantly amid swirling flames, dagger in hand, posed atop what appears to be a massive horned helmet while a pair of glowing, menacing eyes loom from the inferno below. The contrast between the slight, composed figure of Loki and the overwhelming supernatural threat beneath him makes for a genuinely compelling image. Kieron Gillen and Doug Braithwaite's collaboration, colored by Ulises Arreola, brings a mythic intensity to this tie-in that feels anything but routine.