The Authority #13

Three figures stand at the edge of a ruined cityscape, gazing up at a massive, lightning-wreathed dimensional rift that cradles a floating city high above — it's a genuinely arresting image that captures the scale Abnett and Lanning bring to this WildStorm series. Simon Coleby's cover work bathes everything in crackling violet light, giving the scene a sense of awe and impending consequence that pulls you right in. Issue #13 from October 2009 makes a strong case that The Authority remains one of the most visually ambitious superhero books of its era.