2000 AD #51

Dan Dare dominates this February 1978 prog, rendered in Dave Gibbons's crisp linework as the red-suited hero deflects a barrage of razor-sharp throwing stars with fierce determination. A inset panel shows a close-up confrontation with a menacing armored figure, while the taunting cover caption — "You are as good as dead!" — sets the tension perfectly. Rounding out the issue is the final chapter of the Super Nova game and a Brian Bolland-illustrated "Starslayer" installment written by John Howard, making Prog 51 a genuinely satisfying package of British sci-fi thrills.