4. Superman Unchained #6 by Scott Snyder and Jim Lee (DC)
There are over 900 live nukes in the world prepped to launch at the drop of a hat and all of them have just been deployed! Superman must neutralise every single missile to save the world as well as rescue Lois from Ascension, the terrorist group who're trying to bring about doomsday. But what do the mysterious crystal shards Ascension are using do and where are they from? Superman Unchained #6 underlines the core conflict between Superman and Wraith, the "first Superman", who's deeply loyal to the United States: where Wraith will do anything to protect America, Superman is concerned for the safety of everyone on the planet, regardless of borders. And, it sounds corny, but the issue also highlights the importance of friendship as Batman's assists give Superman the edge he needs to defeat Wraith (looking at Wraith, was anyone surprised to see him turn villainous?). Like Batman's kryptonite ring that's his fail-safe against Superman, Batman's also created a ring made up of synthetic materials harmful to Wraith which he gives to Superman. There's a great panel where, after Superman punches Wraith with the ring on and says "It's good to have paranoid friends!" there's a shot of Batman watching the fight, smiling and whistling a little tune! The way Superman stops all the nukes in time felt a bit like a deus ex machina but the fight between Superman and Wraith was good and the scenes between Superman and Lois were fun, especially when she sees inside his Fortress of Solitude. As always with Snyder, he finishes spectacularly with an oncoming invasion of Superman's "igloo" by DC's versions of AT-AT Walkers while Batman receives a surprise visitor in the Dustin Nguyen-drawn backup. Superman Unchained #6 is another fine issue in this excellent series that all Superman fans will enjoy.