Punisher: Frank Castle Max #69

Dave Johnson's cover for this 2009 Marvel MAX entry is a striking piece of graphic design — a skeletal, red-haired figure in a glamorous pose raises a cocktail glass while sand pours from her body like an hourglass, with a tiny but resolute Frank Castle standing at her feet amid the falling grains. The bold hand-lettered "Six Hours to Kill" title treatment integrates seamlessly into the image, making the whole cover feel like a pulp-noir fever dream. Duane Swierczynski, Michel Lacombe, and Val Staples bring their talents to Chapter Four of this tense arc, and Johnson's imagery sets an atmosphere of deadly countdown that's hard to shake.