Black Lightning #9

Suicide Slum needs a hero, and cover artists Rich Buckler and Vince Colletta make sure Black Lightning looks every bit the part — surging forward in his blue-and-yellow costume, fists raised, with a swirling red chain encircling a crowd of frightened civilians behind him. A red-suited villain brandishing a flaming weapon looms at the lower right, while a detective and a uniformed officer add to the tension framing this urban standoff. The cover copy says it all: with the Annihilist threatening the neighborhood, Black Lightning is the only thing standing between Suicide Slum and destruction — a fine setup for Tony Isabella's story inside.