Girls' Love Stories #80

This August 1961 DC romance issue pulls readers straight into the drama with a cover by Mike Sekowsky and John Romita (inks) showing a glamorous blonde in a strapless gown and fur stole reacting with visible distress as a dark-haired woman and a suited man loom behind her — the speech bubble making it clear she's been told her looks won't win Jeff, while a caption reveals her crowning as queen has led only to an "Invitation to Tears." Girls' Love Stories #80 captures that bittersweet emotional intensity the romance genre did so well in the early '60s, and at a dime it promised readers heartache, rivalry, and the story "My Midnight Love" all in one compact package.