The Dragon #5

Against a stark black background, this 1996 Image Comics issue presents Dragon — the massive, green-skinned, fin-headed bruiser — in a quietly charged pose, his powerful arm wrapped protectively around a blonde woman in a red top and white pants. Erik Larsen's cover linework gives both figures a grounded, almost noir-tinged weight, the geometric title treatment radiating behind Dragon like a crown. At just 99¢, issue #5 with its story "Angel Fueled Quake!" offers a compelling mood piece before the action inside even begins.