The Marvels Project #2

The original Human Torch blazes at the center of this stunning cover by Steve McNiven, his fiery form towering over a collage of the Marvel Golden Age — a Daily Bugle headline screaming his presence, a masked figure lurking in shadow, a costumed hero crouched on a ledge with guns drawn, a Nazi-armband-wearing threat, and period police cars scrambling in the chaos. Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting's eight-part limited series digs deep into the hidden history of Marvel's earliest heroes, and issue two makes clear that the birth of these marvels was anything but tidy. It's a richly atmospheric reimagining of a pivotal era, rendered with the kind of painted drama that rewards a long, careful look.