Spawn #199

One issue away from a major milestone, Spawn #199 arrives with a cover by Greg Capullo that pulls no punches: Spawn, draped in his signature red cape and chains, is locked in a brutal grapple with a massive, grotesque creature whose pale, monstrous form towers over him — claws, fangs, and all. The raw energy of the struggle, rendered with Capullo's sharp, kinetic linework, makes this one of the more viscerally striking covers in the series' long run. With Todd McFarlane writing and Erik Larsen on interior art, this 2010 issue is a compelling read heading into the landmark #200.