Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter #15

DC's martial arts series heats up with issue #15, as the cover — penciled by Rich Buckler and inked by Jack Abel — throws Richard Dragon and a female ally headlong into a ferocious three-way brawl against a wild-haired, purple-clad villain wielding a blade, while a battle-axe spins ominously in the background. The tag line poses the urgent question: can Richard Dragon and the Ninja Assassin halt the murderous blood rampage of the Axeman? Written by Denny O'Neil with art by Ric Estrada, this 1977 entry delivers exactly the kind of kinetic, hard-hitting action that made this series a standout in the kung-fu comics boom of the decade.