Punisher #55

Part of Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov's "Valley Forge, Valley Forge" arc, this 2008 Marvel MAX issue presents a cover by Tim Bradstreet that is all brooding atmosphere — Frank Castle rendered in near-silhouette, his profile barely carved out of the darkness, a pistol gripped at his side while deep red flames and smoke billow around him. It's a striking, painterly image that captures the Punisher as a figure defined as much by shadow as by purpose. For readers following Ennis's unflinching take on Frank Castle, this is the kind of cover that sets a tone before you've turned a single page.