Lucifer #39

Part four of the five-part "Naglfar" arc arrives in this 2003 Vertigo entry, with a cover by Christopher Moeller that's all brooding atmosphere — Lucifer, impeccably dressed in a dark suit, stands amid a hellish amber backdrop, a martini glass tilting in one hand while a single luminous golden wing unfurls behind him. The contrast of that civilized elegance against the fiery, chaotic surroundings captures everything that makes this series so compelling. Mike Carey's run, brought to life by Peter Gross, Dean Ormston, and Ryan Kelly, continues to be one of Vertigo's most ambitious explorations of free will and cosmic consequence.