The Punisher #5

The cover of this 2016 Marvel series — penciled and inked by Declan Shalvey — sets a grimly atmospheric tone: a bound figure, arms strapped tightly behind their back, stands alone beneath a single hanging light, framed by looming dark bars that echo the Punisher's own skull insignia overhead. It's a quietly unsettling image that speaks volumes about the kind of pressure-cooker storytelling Becky Cloonan and Steve Dillon bring to Frank Castle's world. If you've been following this run, issue #5 looks like exactly the right moment to see things get complicated.