Superman #164

That "Vote Lex 2000" campaign button pinned right to Superman's chest symbol says everything you need to know about the political tension simmering in this January 2001 issue. The cover — penciled by Ed McGuinness and inked by Cam Smith — is a wonderfully understated provocation, letting the crimson cape and golden S-shield do the heavy lifting while Lex Luthor's likeness stares out from that bold blue button. With Jeph Loeb among the writers and "Tales from the Bizarro World" as the story title, this one promises the kind of sharp, offbeat storytelling that made this creative era genuinely memorable.