Aquaman #55

A tense confrontation anchors this May 1999 installment of DC's Aquaman, with the tagline "Caught in the Act!" framing a charged encounter between two striking figures — a red-haired woman wearing a crown and teal outfit clutching a golden trident-like weapon, and a dark-skinned, glowing-eyed figure in blue armor who looms close with an expression of shock. Mike S. Miller's cover pencils and inks deliver real dramatic energy, the pair's wide-eyed reactions suggesting a moment of sudden, unwelcome discovery. With Erik Larsen and Mike Miller on the creative team, "Desperate Times" promises the kind of high-stakes Atlantean drama that kept this series compelling through the late '90s.