Superman #144

Superman #144 brings the dramatic "Fall of the Fortress!" storyline to a head with a cover that says it all — massive chunks of crystal and ice crash down around the Man of Steel as he strains to lift a civilian woman to safety amid churning, glowing green water. Steve Epting and Joe Rubinstein deliver a beautifully composed scene of urgency and sacrifice, with Superman's expression caught somewhere between determination and desperation as debris rains down on all sides. Dan Jurgens, Epting, and Rubinstein were clearly firing on all cylinders for this May 1999 chapter — a fine entry in the long-running series.