Excalibur #17

Part six of the Cross-Time Caper finds Excalibur in decidedly strange territory, as Alan Davis and Paul Neary's cover sends up the beauty-pageant format with gleeful absurdity. Center stage stands a grinning, red-masked contestant numbered 171 — striking a practiced pose and declaring hopes to "travel, help children, and work for world peace" — while a lineup of equally outlandish alien competitors waits in the wings, and the Excalibur team members hold up scoring paddles in the audience below. The tagline "Search for a Hero?" says it all: Davis has a gift for blending superhero action with dry wit, and this 1989 issue promises a dimension-hopping adventure that doesn't take itself too seriously.