Tom Strong #23

Tom Strong and two companions — all three suited up in sleek spacesuits — press forward against an ominous tangle of dark, claw-like shapes surrounding them on this striking 2004 cover penciled by Chris Sprouse and inked by Karl Story. The story is titled "Moonday," and that lurking alien environment framing the trio gives the whole image a wonderfully tense, pulpy energy. Peter Hogan and Sprouse's creative team was doing some of their most imaginative work on this series, and this issue looks like a fine example of why Tom Strong remained such an appealing sci-fi adventure.