Dragonslayer #2

Marvel's adaptation of Dragonslayer reaches its thunderous conclusion in this November 1981 issue, and Marie Severin's cover — both penciled and inked by her — captures the stakes perfectly: a white-robed figure stands resolute atop a rocky crag, gripping a staff with both hands as the massive, snapping heads and raking claws of a fearsome dragon loom over them from either side. The bold corner blurb "The Final Conflict!" says everything about the tension Severin has packed into every line of this dramatic composition. With Dennis O'Neil scripting and Severin also handling interior art and colors, this two-issue adaptation brings genuine craft to one of fantasy cinema's most memorable monster showdowns.