Justice League Task Force #31

A massive, heavily restrained brute dominates the foreground of this January 1996 issue, his purple bulk bound in thick chains and mechanical shackles while a cool, armored figure holds those chains from behind — the cover tagline "To Tame the Beast!" setting an immediate tone of dangerous power barely kept in check. Shadowy silhouettes loom in the background, hinting at a larger cast waiting in the wings. Chris Batista and Chip Wallace deliver a cover with real physical menace, and with Christopher Priest writing alongside artist Roger Robinson, Justice League Task Force #31 looks like a compelling chapter in this mid-'90s DC series.