Hawkworld #24

Part four of the five-part "Escape from Thanagar" arc, this July 1992 issue from Ostrander and Nolan puts a menacing, purple-robed figure front and center — hood drawn low, arms folded, radiating cold authority. Behind that imposing presence, a framed inset scene erupts with winged Thanagarian warriors in flight and armed soldiers locked in fierce ground combat, smoke rising across a blasted landscape. Graham Nolan's cover does a fine job of balancing quiet menace with chaotic action, making this penultimate chapter feel like the calm eye of a very dangerous storm.