Peter Parker: Spider-Man #9

The cover of this September 1999 issue says it all: Venom looms enormously over a crouched, seemingly overwhelmed Spider-Man, his massive symbiote-black form and spider emblem dominating the fiery orange backdrop as tendrils coil throughout the composition. John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna deliver a striking sense of scale and dread, with Spidey looking genuinely outmatched beneath that towering, grinning silhouette. "The Horror Returns — Venom Is Back!" promises exactly the kind of high-stakes confrontation fans of this title were eagerly anticipating from the Mackie-era run.