Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld #2

The second chapter of DC's 12-part maxi-series drops Amethyst squarely into the perils of Gemworld, and Ed Hannigan and Ernie Colón's cover captures the stakes beautifully: the blonde, armor-clad princess faces down a massive, coiling striped panther-creature while a red-suited swordsman leaps into the fray above her, magical energy bursting between them — a tiny green dragon scrambling at the lower corner adds a wonderfully otherworldly touch. Writers Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn, with interior art by Ernie Colón, were building something genuinely imaginative here in 1983 — a fantasy adventure that balanced sword-and-sorcery thrills with real heart. "Cat and Mouse" promises exactly the kind of breathless, creatures-and-combat excitement that made this series such a distinctive corner of the DC universe.