Scarlet Spider #22

The cover of Scarlet Spider #22 says it all — Kaine's red-and-black costume is pinned to the ground beneath a massive, leopard-spotted beast wielding a blade and a primitive spear, making for a viscerally striking image rendered with raw force by cover artist Ryan Stegman. The tagline "All of the Power, None of the Responsibility" captures the series' defiant tone perfectly, and "Into the Grave: Part 2" promises the stakes are already sky-high. Christopher Yost and Erik Burnham's run continues to push Marvel's most reluctant hero into punishing territory, and this 2013 issue delivers one of the year's most arresting covers.