Epic Illustrated #3

Marvel's ambitious adult fantasy magazine hits its third issue with a striking Paul Gulacy cover that sets the mood perfectly — a confident, armored warrior woman strides across a barren, sun-scorched landscape, weapon in hand, while a massive skeletal pterodactyl looms to her left and armed figures follow behind her through the desolate terrain. The cover promises exactly what the magazine delivers: "new dimensions in adult fantasy and science-fiction," highlighted here by an adaptation of Michael Moorcock's "The Dreaming City" brought to life by the triple talents of P. Craig Russell on art, inks, and colors, with Roy Thomas writing and Tom Orzechowski lettering. Fall 1980's Epic Illustrated #3 is a vivid snapshot of Marvel stretching its creative ambitions well beyond the standard superhero fare.