Jack Kirby's Fourth World #17

John Byrne's continuation of Jack Kirby's epic Fourth World saga reaches a fever pitch in this July 1998 issue, with a cover by Walter Simonson that commands attention: a powerfully built, dark-haired figure dominates the foreground, bearing down with clenched fists while the helmeted, ski-equipped Black Racer tumbles away in the background amid a burst of kinetic energy. The bold tagline "Death is the Black Racer!" makes clear that Kirby's cosmic embodiment of death is very much at the center of this chapter, titled "Blood War." Byrne handles writing, art, inking, and lettering himself — with colors by Noelle Giddings — bringing an impressive unity of vision to the New Gods mythology.