Ms. Marvel #41

Part of Marvel's 2009 Dark Reign crossover event, this issue delivers a striking nighttime cityscape where Ms. Marvel — red-and-black costume, lightning bolt insignia, blonde hair swept dramatically by the wind — stands triumphant above a fallen dark-costumed figure in the foreground. Sana Takeda's cover work captures real tension against a glittering urban skyline bathed in moonlight, the mood perfectly suited to the shadowy era of Dark Reign. Brian Reed and Sergio Ariño's run on the series was reliably solid superhero storytelling, and this issue looks like no exception.