Blood Syndicate #4

The cover of this July 1993 Milestone/DC issue pulls no punches — a massive rocky-fisted brawler dominates the background while a snarling, leopard-spotted beast, a heavily armed gunman, a helmeted fighter, and a blue-suited figure charge forward, with a flying figure in purple leaping above them all, underscored by the blunt tagline "Somebody's Gonna Die." Cover pencils by James Fry and inks by Mike Gustovich give the Blood Syndicate a raw, kinetic energy that makes this gang of Dakota City super-powered street warriors feel genuinely dangerous. With Ivan Velez Jr. and Dwayne McDuffie crafting the story "Thicker Than Blood," this is Milestone's bold urban superhero universe firing on all cylinders.