2000 AD #541

From Barry Kitson's vivid cover for Prog 541 (26 September 1987), a glamorous woman with purple hair and a green coat dominates the foreground while, behind her, Judge Dredd squares off in a fistfight against a muscular opponent — billed by a speech bubble as "Joe Dredd versus Stan Lee… live on MCTV!" The banner across the top teases "the re-match you've all been waiting for," promising the kind of outrageous spectacle that made 2000 AD appointment reading in 1987. Inside, Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell continue their work on "Patterns," making this a fine snapshot of the comic at a genuinely creative moment.