Arion, Lord of Atlantis #35

The cover of this September 1985 DC issue poses a grim question — "Which will kill him first?" — as Arion finds himself simultaneously threatened by the massive, fang-filled jaws of a monstrous creature and a dark-robed, red-haired sorcerer crackling with destructive energy. Jan Duursema's cover art stages the confrontation with real urgency, the serpentine beast's pink maw dominating the left side while the menacing figure looms large on the right, leaving Arion caught dangerously between two lethal forces. "The Shadow of Evil" promises a story that lives up to its title, and this issue is a fine showcase for what made Arion, Lord of Atlantis such a compelling corner of the DC universe in the mid-1980s.