Truth: Red, White & Black #2

The stark, graphic cover of this 2003 Marvel series says everything without showing a face — rows of Black soldiers in green military uniforms emerge from the red and white stripes of an American flag, their silhouetted features deliberately obscured against the bold patriotic backdrop. Writer Robert Morales and artist Kyle Baker bring an unflinching visual sensibility to this second chapter of six, subtitled "The Future," and the cover's design alone carries enormous weight. It's a striking piece of sequential art that sets a serious, purposeful tone for the story within.