Animal Man #21

Brian Bolland's cover for issue #21 pulls no punches: a snarling, blonde-haired figure in a dark jacket — one hand transformed into savage animal claws — looms over a white-haired man pinned helplessly beneath him, the tension practically leaping off the page. The story title "Tooth and Claw" fits the mood perfectly, promising something raw and visceral from the Morrison, Truog, and Hazlewood creative team. This March 1990 DC series was doing genuinely daring work, and covers like this one made it impossible to leave on the shelf.