Animal Man #21

Animal Man is dragged and overwhelmed by a swarm of snarling, dark bestial creatures in Jae Lee's unsettling cover for this 2013 New 52 installment — the tagline "No Escape from the Screams from the Animal Madhouse!" setting a fittingly ominous tone. Writer Jeff Lemire and artists Steve Pugh and Francis Portela bring the story "Splinter Species" to life, and if the cover is any indication, Buddy Baker is in for a harrowing chapter. It's a genuinely atmospheric entry in this run, with Lee's stark, tension-filled imagery making a strong case for picking this one up.