New Avengers #1

A striking first issue arrives under the Marvel NOW! banner, with Jock's cover setting an immediately arresting tone — Black Panther looms large in the foreground as a silhouetted ensemble of figures, including what appears to be Iron Man and several other shadowy allies, assembles behind him against a deep crimson backdrop bearing the Illuminati's "4" emblem. Jonathan Hickman, Steve Epting, Rick Magyar, and Frank D'Armata bring the story "Memento Mori" to life, promising the kind of high-stakes, morally complex storytelling that suits this brooding aesthetic perfectly. If this cover is any indication, 2013's New Avengers is going to be a very different, very compelling corner of the Marvel universe.