The Brave and the Bold #25

The cover of The Brave and the Bold #25 (September 2009) says it all: Hardware shoves Blue Beetle away while declaring he doesn't need a team-up — and a looming, monstrous shadow behind them both suggests the universe has other plans. Mario Alberti's cover art captures a wonderfully tense dynamic between the armored Milestone hero and the scarab-suited teen, their bickering framed against something far bigger and more threatening than either. Writer Adam Beechen and artist Roger Robinson bring these two tech-powered heroes together in "System Compatibility," a pairing that feels equal parts friction and fun.