Blue Beetle #5

From Charlton Comics in 1968, this 12-cent issue puts Blue Beetle squarely in the crosshairs of a threat bold enough to bill itself the "Destroyer of Heroes." Steve Ditko's cover splits the composition dramatically between a crouching Blue Beetle in his sleek dark costume and a hulking, stone-textured bruiser with a heart emblem on its chest, both set against a city skyline with onlookers caught in the chaos. Ditko's sharp linework and dynamic staging make the confrontation feel genuinely charged — a fine snapshot of Charlton's superhero ambitions at their most energetic.