Spider-Woman #4

Alex Maleev's painterly cover for this 2010 Marvel series stops you cold: Jessica Drew lies supine, her cascade of deep green hair fanning out beneath her, clutching a pistol against her chest with a quiet, guarded intensity. The textured, almost watercolor-washed background gives the image a dreamy yet tense atmosphere that suits a spy-thriller series perfectly. Brian Michael Bendis and Maleev bring a moody, grounded sensibility to Spider-Woman that sets this title apart from the superhero crowd.