The Mighty Avengers #25

Part of Marvel's 2009 "Dark Reign" event, this issue kicks off "The Baxter Job" — a Mighty / Fantastic crossover that promises something genuinely compelling. Khoi Pham's cover crackles with energy, assembling a sprawling cast: a fierce masked woman in the foreground, the Vision wreathed in his golden cape, the Human Torch blazing overhead, the Thing charging on the right, the Invisible Woman channeling her powers, and several other heroes — including a red-and-gold costumed figure — all surging together in one packed, dynamic composition. With Dan Slott writing and Stephen Segovia on interior art, this is the kind of team-up issue that makes a Wednesday pull list feel very satisfying.