Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man #3

Miles Morales finds himself on the back foot in this 2014 Marvel installment, as the cover by David Marquez shows him reeling from a powerful blow delivered by a green, horned, flame-wreathed creature — the Green Goblin bearing down with terrifying force against a backdrop of fire and chaos. Marquez's linework and Justin Ponsor's colors give the confrontation a scorched, visceral energy that makes the threat feel very real for the Ultimate Spider-Man. Brian Michael Bendis and his collaborators are clearly putting Miles through his paces, and this cover alone makes a compelling case for diving in.