Orc Stain #5

Image's wildly inventive Orc Stain continues with its fifth issue, and this cover makes a striking impression: a battle-worn orc warrior in a red headband and layered armor stands his ground, clutching a monstrous creature at his side, while an enormous shadowy figure looms behind him — its dark, billowing form dwarfing everything below and a pale, mask-like face peering down from above. The contrast between the scrappy, detail-packed foreground fighter and that vast, ominous presence gives the image a real sense of mounting dread. If you've been following this gritty, inventive fantasy series from Image, issue five looks like a chapter where the stakes are climbing considerably higher.