Planet of the Apes #9

Sam Kennedy's cover for this ninth issue of Boom! Studios' Planet of the Apes puts an armored, snarling ape warrior front and center — wild-maned and wide-eyed, clutching a blazing sphere of fire as explosions tear through the orange-lit sky behind him. The sheer ferocity radiating from that image sets a fittingly intense tone for "Children of Fire Part 1," the story arc kicking off here from writer Daryl Gregory and artist Carlos Magno. If you've been following this series, issue #9 looks like the moment things get considerably hotter.