Romantic Story #42

Charlton's Romantic Story #42 delivers the kind of breathless, close-quarters tension that made 1959 romance comics irresistible — the cover, penciled by Dick Giordano and inked by Vince Colletta, pulls you right into the drama with a dark-haired woman in a blue evening gown and pearl necklace pressing her hand tenderly against the cheek of a brooding blond man, the two locked in an unmistakably charged moment. The lush, expressive linework gives both figures a real emotional weight, making you wonder exactly what's behind that loaded gaze. Inside, Joe Gill's story "Old Beau" promises the kind of romantic complication the title does so well — and there's even a chance to win from 8,000 prizes tucked right on the cover for good measure.