New Excalibur #16

Chris Claremont, Scot Eaton, and John Dell bring the team to a tense crossroads in this 2007 installment of New Excalibur. Salvador Larroca's cover assembles the full roster in striking fashion — a purple-haired woman bearing a star emblem, a blue-skinned figure with arms crossed defiantly, a dark-haired man flanked by a massive open-mouthed creature, a red-costumed hero lunging into action, and two more teammates flanking the composition — all set against a warm amber backdrop that gives the scene a charged, uneasy energy. With "Fallen Friend Part 1" as the story title, the weight on these characters' faces feels entirely earned.