The Darkness #12

Part three of the "Dragons & Darkness" arc finds Jackie Estacado's supernatural alter ego looming large — armored in living darkness, surrounded by snarling demonic creatures with jagged teeth and glowing eyes, their thorny tendrils coiling through every corner of Dale Keown's beautifully rendered cover. The sheer menace radiating from this image makes it easy to see why Brokenfrontout called the series a match for Goodfellas and The Sopranos. With Ron Marz scripting and Martin Montiel on interior art, this 2004 Top Cow/Image chapter keeps the tension of the four-part story running at full throttle.