Girls' Love Stories #29

A moonlit shoreline sets the stage for heartache and longing in this June 1954 issue of Girls' Love Stories, where Diana loses herself in Rick Allen's strong arms beneath a glowing full moon — unaware, the cover copy warns, of his ruthless plan to break her heart. John Romita Sr.'s pencils and Bernard Sachs's inks bring a tender, bittersweet intimacy to the embracing couple, the coastal hills and night sky lending the scene a sweeping romantic atmosphere. Whether "Love Laughs Last" delivers the sting the cover promises, DC's "True to Life!" romance anthology was delivering emotionally charged storytelling to readers at just a dime a copy in 1954.