Starman #20

Jack Knight crouches in the foreground of Tony Harris's moody painted-style cover, his signature goggles pushed up on his forehead and his vintage jacket giving him that unmistakable retro-cool look, while an ominous crimson mechanical figure looms large in the fiery background. This is "Sand and Stars Part One," the opening chapter of a four-part arc from the creative team of James Robinson, Tony Harris, and Wade von Grawbadger — and the contrast between Jack's grounded, almost reluctant posture and the towering threat behind him sets a compelling tone for what's ahead. A fine entry in DC's 1996 run of this series, with Harris's atmospheric cover work making it easy to see why Starman stood apart on the comics rack.