Ultimate Human #4

The four-issue Ultimate Human miniseries reaches its finale with a cover that says everything about the tension at its heart: a fully armored Iron Man stands front and center, arc reactor glowing, while an enormous, looming Hulk fills the background — massive fists flanking the armored figure like walls closing in. Cary Nord's composition is quietly gripping, using a desaturated Hulk against the vivid red-and-gold of the suit to make the scale and stakes feel immediate. Warren Ellis's sharp storytelling paired with Nord and Dave Stewart's visuals made this 2008 miniseries a satisfying collision of Marvel's two great engines of science gone extreme.