Freddy Krueger's A Nightmare on Elm Street #1

Marvel's magazine-format horror line made room for the dream demon himself with this 1989 launch, and Joe Jusko's painted cover sets the tone immediately — Freddy Krueger looms large in his battered hat, scarred face twisted into a sneer, his gleaming razor-glove raised over a terrified young woman rendered small and vulnerable against the fiery red background. Labeled "Illustrated Horror for Mature Readers," this oversized format gave Steve Gerber, Rich Buckler, Tony DeZuniga, and Alfredo Alcala the space to craft "Dreamstalker Part 1" with genuine menace. If you've been waiting for Elm Street's most infamous resident to make the jump to comics, the cover's own tagline says it best — Freddy's back.