Ultimate Spider-Man #39

The story arc subtitle "Therapy" sets a quietly compelling tone for this 2003 installment of Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man, and the cover by Mark Bagley delivers a portrait that feels both intimate and intense — Spider-Man crouches in close-up, hands clasped thoughtfully near his face against a swirling amber backdrop crackling with lightning-bolt shapes. There's something almost contemplative about the pose, a hero caught in a moment of stillness rather than action. Brian Michael Bendis and Bagley were firing on all cylinders during this run, and issue #39 looks like a fine example of why this series resonated so strongly with readers.