Gang Busters #26

A carnival barker in a bold green striped jacket takes center stage on this 1952 DC cover, gesturing dramatically toward an assembled cast of sideshow performers — a tattooed man, a fire-eater, a heavyset woman, and other curious figures — while a speech bubble poses the tantalizing question: "Which one of these freaks is guilty of the strangest crime in police files?" Ruben Moreira's cover art lures readers straight into "The Carnival of Crime," a premise that makes terrific use of Gang Busters' crime-fighting mandate. True to the series' tagline, the bottom banner reminds everyone — criminals included — that you can't beat the law.