Mark Hazzard: Merc #3

Part of Marvel's New Universe line, this January 1987 issue of Mark Hazzard: Merc makes an immediate impression with a cover by penciler Mark Beachum and inker Joe Rubinstein — a tight, brooding close-up of Hazzard himself, cigarette dangling from his lips, his scarred face rendered in sharp amber and shadow. A small inset in the upper corner shows the full figure of the mercenary, battle-ready and purposeful, giving a sense of the man beyond the hard stare. With Peter David scripting a story titled "Philadelphia Freedom," this issue promises the gritty, grounded action that sets this series apart from Marvel's superhero fare.