Gang Busters #59

The tension is palpable on Ruben Moreira's cover for this 1957 DC crime title, where a trench-coated undercover officer crouches in the foreground, grimly aware that the uniformed police behind him — stepping out of a squad car with gun drawn, shouting "Stop — or I'll shoot!" — have no idea he's one of their own. Featuring the story "The Secret Life of Badge 22," Gang Busters #59 puts the impossible bind of deep-cover police work front and center, with a shadowy figure lurking in the background adding another layer of danger to an already razor-thin situation. For fans of mid-century crime comics, this ten-cent issue delivers exactly the kind of street-level suspense the series built its reputation on.