Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #10

The cover of issue #10 says it all — Star-Spangled Kid is bound in heavy chains, her cosmic staff glowing an eerie green beneath her, with wide eyes and an expression that perfectly captures being in way over your head. The bold tagline "Held After School!" gives this May 2000 entry a playful edge that balances the genuine peril on display, a tone that made Geoff Johns' run on this series so appealing. Cover pencils by Lee Moder and inks by Dan Davis deliver a dynamic, energetic image that makes it hard not to flip straight to "Shortcuts.