Star Wars: Vader's Quest #1

Darth Vader dominates this striking 1999 Dark Horse cover, red lightsaber ignited and black cape sweeping wide against a deep purple sky, while a motley crew of smuggler-types, droids, and aliens scramble in the foreground below him — a visual contrast that sets an immediately compelling tone. Writer Darko Macan and artist Dave Gibbons (who also handles inks and lettering) launch a four-part story that promises to pit the galaxy's most feared enforcer against a surprisingly scrappy cast of characters. It's a confident opening chapter, and Angus McKie's rich coloring gives the whole composition a cinematic warmth that makes it easy to see why this series caught readers' attention.