Swamp Thing Annual #3

Brian Bolland's cover for this 1987 oversized annual is an unsettling delight: a massive, red-eyed gorilla crouches in a jungle clearing, gnawing on what appears to be a white cloth while a pith helmet, rifle, and scattered explorer's gear lie before it — and looming behind the ape, half-formed from the tangled trees themselves, is the unmistakable glowing-eyed visage of Swamp Thing. The juxtaposition of primal beast and elemental guardian against a lush, shadowy backdrop suits the annual's intriguing title, "Distant Cousins," perfectly. With an impressive creative roster including writer-artist Rick Veitch alongside Shawn McManus, Jim Fern, Stan Woch, Tom Yeates, and colorist Adrienne Roy, this is a richly produced entry in DC's mature-readers Swamp Thing line.