The Manhattan Projects #18

The Manhattan Projects #18 arrives in February 2014 with one of the series' most striking covers — a stark white silhouette of a human head set against a deep red background, with concentric geometric rings emanating from the skull and a scatter of white orbs suggesting something escaping, or exploding, from the mind within. Jonathan Hickman's minimalist cover design perfectly frames the issue's ominous single-word title, "Assassination," letting the negative space do the heavy lifting. With Hickman writing and Pitarra and Bellaire bringing their distinct visual sensibility to the interior, this is the kind of chapter that reminds you why this series earns its place on the shelf.