2000 AD Annual #1988

Three imposing figures dominate Brendan McCarthy's cover for this 1987 annual: a blonde woman pointing a gun, a hulking green-skinned figure with a single eye implant, and an armored, helmeted warrior — all staring down the reader with a darkly comic "Buy this book… or we shoot the Bitelchusian!" The attitude perfectly captures the irreverent, slightly menacing spirit that made 2000 AD such a vital force in British comics. Inside, Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill bring their sharp sensibilities to "Torquemada's Second Honeymoon," making this annual a fine showcase for some of the era's most distinctive talents.