The Spirit #20

Will Eisner's Spirit finds himself in deep trouble in this October 2008 issue — literally, as the cover by Paul Smith shows the masked, blue-suited hero being held underwater by a scuba-diving assailant armed with a knife, surrounded on all sides by dolphins gliding through the eerie blue depths. The tension of that underwater struggle, with bubbles rising and coral visible below, makes for a genuinely striking image that fits the issue's title, "Fish Tale," perfectly. Aragonés and Evanier bring their storytelling instincts to this aquatic chapter, with Smith's linework delivering a cover that's both playful and full of peril.