Dark Horse Presents #43

Dark Horse Presents #43 brings together three distinct worlds under one cover, where Paul Guinan's artwork depicts a grinning young man being seized from below by a fearsome Alien creature — acid or fluid spraying dramatically between them — while a looming, dark-clad figure hovers above. Three medallion portraits along the left edge preview the anthology's range: a wide-eyed man alongside a vulture for "Yakub and the Vulture," a snarling bird-beast for "The Argosy," and a skeletal Alien skull marking the "Aliens" segment. For readers who enjoyed DHP's signature mix of science fiction and adventure in 1990, this issue looks like a genuinely satisfying grab-bag of tension and imagination.