The Helmet of Fate: Black Alice #1

Part of DC's 2007 "Helmet of Fate" event, this one-shot puts the spotlight squarely on Black Alice — depicted here perched atop the massive golden Helmet of Fate itself, spray can in hand, her goth attitude very much intact as she tags the legendary artifact with her own name. Writer Gail Simone and artist Duncan Rouleau make a compelling team for "Death and the Maiden," and the cover alone — rendered entirely by Rouleau — does a wonderful job capturing Alice's irreverent charm against an unsettling purple haze of ghostly faces. If you've ever wanted to see a teenage magic-thief claim ownership of one of DC's most powerful relics, this is a great place to start.