Major Bummer #9

Doug Mahnke's cover for this April 1998 issue says it all with gleeful chaos: a massively muscled hero clutches a balloon animal while being ambushed by a snarling red demon bursting through a brick wall, creepy carnival clown heads floating ominously in the background, stuffed animals tumbling at his feet, and a startled blonde trying to keep her composure amid the mayhem. The story title "Don't Meet Me at the Fair" perfectly matches the carnivalesque carnage on display, with a crowd of bewildered onlookers rounding out the delightfully absurd scene. John Arcudi and Mahnke had a genuine knack for mixing superhero muscle with deadpan comedy, and this issue looks like a prime example of that winning combination.