New Avengers #7

Part of Jonathan Hickman's ambitious Illuminati saga, New Avengers #7 presents a striking cover by Mike Deodato that pits Black Panther against Namor in a raw, kinetic clash — the Sub-Mariner lunging overhead with a weapon in hand while T'Challa braces below, both figures rendered in Deodato's characteristically muscular detail against the bold orange Avengers logo. The story is titled "Thrones," which promises weighty questions of power and sovereignty between two kings who rarely see eye to eye. With Frank Martin's coloring lending the image a dramatic, earthy tension, this is a compelling chapter in one of Marvel NOW!'s most intellectually serious series.