Secret Empire #0

Mark Brooks's cover for this prologue issue says everything without saying a word: a grim, battle-worn Steve Rogers strides forward through rubble and barbed wire, his familiar Captain America mask now paired with dark tactical gear bearing a gleaming Hydra emblem on the chest, smoke and fire roiling behind him. The image is a striking visual declaration of the ideological collision at the heart of Nick Spencer's story, rendered with unsettling gravitas against a blood-red sky. With art from Daniel Acuña and Rod Reis inside, this #0 issue sets the stage for one of Marvel's most provocative 2017 events.