Spawn: The Dark Ages #26

The haunting close-up of Spawn's battle-scarred, skeletal-white mask — splattered with blood and pressed beside a gore-streaked blade — makes this 2001 issue one of the most quietly unsettling covers in the series' run, with Ashley Wood's painterly linework lending it an almost grotesque elegance. Spawn: The Dark Ages #26 carries the story "Lesion," brought to life by writer Steve Niles and artist Nat Jones, promising dark medieval mayhem within. If you appreciate horror-tinged fantasy with genuine atmosphere, this issue's cover alone signals that the creative team is operating at a compelling pitch.