Superman: The Man of Steel #74

There's something delightfully knowing about this December 1997 cover — Clark Kent peers over the rims of his glasses with those unmistakably blue eyes, the hint of a smile suggesting the world's worst-kept secret is right on the verge of slipping out. Jon Bogdanove and Dennis Janke fill the entire cover with this close-up portrait, making the dual identity feel both playful and charged with quiet confidence. Louise Simonson, Scot Eaton, and Dennis Janke bring "Subterranean Terror" to life inside, and if the cover is any indication, the Man of Steel is very much present — glasses or not.