Ultimate Comics X-Men #29

The "World War X" arc kicks off in haunting fashion with this Gabriel Hardman cover depicting two skeletal figures entangled amid rubble, framed by a massive X-shaped fissure that splits the earth beneath them — a stark, unsettling image that sets a grim tone for what lies ahead. Brian Wood's script is paired with Álvaro Martínez's interior art and Chris Sotomayor's colors, promising the kind of tense, grounded storytelling this Ultimate Comics run has built its reputation on. If this cover is any indication, 2013's mutant conflicts are about to get considerably darker.