Impulse #81

This February 2002 issue presents one of the more playful covers in DC's Impulse run — Carlo Barberi and Wayne Faucher stage a clever visual gag where a worker crouches at the bottom of a long road, carefully painting the series logo, while above him the title reads through several misspelled attempts ("EMPULSE," "IMPULS," "IMPULTZ") before finally landing on the correct "IMPULSE." Meanwhile, the speedster himself charges down the road trailing lightning, with a blur of speed-force afterimages racing along the top of the cover. It's a lighthearted, self-aware image that captures the fun spirit Todd DeZago and Carlo Barberi brought to the series throughout its run.