New Mutants #23

New Mutants #23 is the fourth chapter of Marvel's "Age of X" crossover event, written by Mike Carey with interior art by Steve Kurth. The cover by Leinil Francis Yu draws you in immediately with a tense, intimate confrontation between Rogue — in her green-and-black costume, her gloved hand raised toward his face — and a heavily armored, white-haired figure whose scarred expression suggests this alternate reality carries real weight. It's a striking 2011 snapshot of the Age of X's emotional stakes, rendered with the kind of quiet intensity that makes you want to flip straight to the first page.