Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #4

Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #4 promises a clash of raw mystical power, with the cover — penciled by Erik Larsen and inked by Al Gordon — showing the Master of the Mystic Arts unleashing a blazing sphere of magical energy point-blank into the jagged, hulking form of a massive dragon. The creature looms over Strange, its dark, spike-covered body absorbing the brilliant burst while Strange strains against it, crimson Cloak of Levitation billowing behind him, every line radiating urgency. With the cover boldly promising a "Fight to the Finish with the Dragon," this 1989 issue looks like a genuinely satisfying piece of sorcerous spectacle.