Punisher War Journal Annual #1

The cover of this 2009 annual delivers one of comics' great visual jokes: Frank Castle, dual-wielding firearms and wearing his skull-emblazoned black combat gear, strides forward with his trademark stone-cold scowl — surrounded entirely by pastel cartoon ghost and star characters that couldn't look more cheerful and innocent. Dave Wilkins' painted cover work makes the contrast genuinely striking, Frank's hyper-realistic intensity clashing beautifully against the sugary pink-and-purple dreamscape floating around him. With a story titled "If I Die Before I Wake," this oversized issue promises something a little different from the Punisher War Journal run.