Superboy #36

The cover of Superboy #36 (February 1997) makes good on its tagline — "Superboy Meets His Match!" — with a raw, kinetic image of a muscular, shirtless blond figure crackling with electricity driving Superboy hard into the ground, the Kid's signature "S"-shield jacket torn and his expression one of pained defiance. Penciler Ramon Bernado and inker Doug Hazlewood pack the composition with energy and attitude, the glowing green-and-red whip coiling around both combatants adding an extra layer of menace. Writer Ron Marz's "Grudge Match" promises exactly what that title suggests, and this cover earns every word of it.