Seven Soldiers: Guardian #1

Part of Grant Morrison's ambitious Seven Soldiers crossover, this first issue of the four-part Manhattan Guardian miniseries opens with a cover by Cameron Stewart that frames the whole thing as a tabloid newspaper — complete with breathless headlines about subway ghosts and a clay golem stalking the streets of Manhattan. The Guardian himself bursts through the front page, shield raised and name emblazoned across his chest, armored in gold, blue, and black with a determined intensity that immediately signals this is a hero ready for serious urban action. It's a clever, visually inventive way to kick off a series, and the newspaper conceit hints at a story with plenty of street-level energy and New York atmosphere.