The Pulse #8

Part three of the "Secret War" arc arrives in this quietly striking issue from Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Lark. Mike Mayhew's cover art takes a spare, minimalist approach — a lone woman with long dark hair stands hunched on a pale background, arms wrapped around herself as autumn leaves scatter at her feet, conveying a powerful sense of emotional weight without a single word. It's a thoughtful, human moment at the heart of a Marvel story that clearly has as much to say about vulnerability as it does about conflict.