The Sword #12

The Luna Brothers' gripping series reaches its twelfth issue with a cover that stops you cold — a young woman lies battered and bloodied on a rocky, wave-washed shore, her torn clothing and visible wounds telling of a brutal struggle, while the titular sword hovers in the air above her. Jonathan Luna's cover art balances fragility and defiance in a single arresting image, the crashing water and scattered blood suggesting the aftermath of something fierce. It's the kind of quietly devastating visual that reminds you why this Image series earned its devoted following in 2008.