New Avengers #11

The mysterious, masked Ronin dominates this 2005 cover — dual blades drawn, shattering glass and fabric swirling dramatically behind the crouching figure — rendered with tremendous kinetic energy by penciler David Finch and inker Danny Miki. Brian Michael Bendis kicks off a new story arc here, and the enigmatic identity behind that dark armor makes for an immediately compelling hook. If you were reading New Avengers in 2005, "Ronin Part One" was exactly the kind of sharp, stylish chapter that kept you coming back.