Astonishing X-Men #9

Cyclops dominates the foreground of this 2012 Marvel trade paperback, his visor crackling with barely contained energy as he looms large over a determined young mutant sprinting below him. Behind them, a supporting cast of X-Men — including a gruff, broad-shouldered figure recognizable as Wolverine and several other teammates — watches with a mix of resolve and unease. Mike McKone's linework is crisp and dynamic throughout, and Rachelle Rosenberg's coloring gives the whole composition a striking warmth that makes *Astonishing X-Men: Exalted* feel like essential reading for fans of Marvel's mutant corner.