Azrael #46

A menacing, muscle-bound villain dominates this October 1998 cover of Azrael #46, his bald head striped with dark tattoos, his wide fang-filled grin radiating pure malice as he crushes what appears to be Azrael's red-and-black costume in his massive fist — the cover tagline "In the Grip of Death!" says it all. Roger Robinson and James Pascoe deliver a cover that puts the threat front and center, making it immediately clear that the series' hero is facing something formidable. With Dennis O'Neil crafting the interior story "Guardian Angel," this issue promises the kind of tense, street-level drama that defines this corner of the DC universe.