Suicide Squad #3

The cover of Suicide Squad #3 (2002) makes a bold statement: skeletal soldiers in green military gear surge forward through a chaotic battlefield, one raising an American flag while clutching an assault rifle — a grim, visceral image that sets the tone for the "Pest Control" story inside. Penciled and inked by the series' own art team of Paco Medina and Joe Sanchez, the cover delivers a striking war-horror mashup with skull-faced combatants clawing their way through the carnage. With Keith Giffen at the helm of writing duties, this 2002 DC series was clearly pushing the Squad into dark, intense territory.