Azrael #18

The cover of this June 1996 issue pulls no punches: a massive, snarling beast — horned, spike-studded, and grinning with a mouthful of jagged teeth — dominates the frame, clutching a staff topped with a skull while crackling blue energy erupts at the center of the struggle. Azrael, visible in his red-and-gold armor, is locked in the thick of that brutal clash, making it immediately clear that "Angel in Flames Part Two: The Enemy Around Us" is not letting up on the intensity. Barry Kitson and James Pascoe's cover work delivers a visceral, eye-catching confrontation that sets a fittingly fierce tone for Dennis O'Neil's ongoing saga.