The Ultimates #3

That close-up of Captain America's masked face — rendered in dramatic warm and cool light by Bryan Hitch — fills every inch of this 2002 Marvel cover with quiet, steely intensity. The "A" on his cowl and those sharp, watchful eyes say everything about a man out of time trying to make sense of a new century, which fits the chapter title "21st Century Boy" perfectly. Mark Millar, Hitch, and Andrew Currie's Ultimates was already redefining what a superhero team book could feel like, and issue #3 keeps that momentum going strong.