2000 AD #545

The banner declares "OZ — The Mega-Epic Begins!" and Prog 545 delivers on that promise with a cover by Cliff Robinson that crackles with raw energy: a snarling, lion-maned figure grips a large pair of bolt cutters in the foreground while a stern Judge Dredd looms behind him, Lawgiver raised and ready. The graffiti-scrawled "FREE CHOPPER" splashed across the image sets the rebellious tone perfectly for this October 1987 weekly. Inside, Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell continue the action with "Burn Baby, Burn!" — making this a great jumping-on point for the sprawling Oz storyline.