Superman #4

Part of DC's New 52 line in 2012, this issue puts Superman in genuine peril — the cover by George Pérez shows the Man of Steel swarmed by what appear to be countless insects or tiny creatures, his expression one of real strain as towering pillars of water and fire rage on either side of him. The tagline "Prepare to be purged, Superman!" makes clear he's facing something that threatens him on a deeply unsettling level. Pérez's densely detailed linework, inked by his own hand, gives the scene a chaotic, oppressive energy that makes this one hard to set down.