Sweethearts #87

The cover of this June 1966 Charlton romance issue draws you right into a charged moment — a dark-suited man leans in close to a blonde woman in a coral dress, his hand gently cupping her face as speech bubbles hint at secrets from her past and his declaration of love after just a month together. The featured story, "Dearly Beloved," poses the aching question of whether Hilda could ever be worthy of the love of Reverend Marshal Wallin, setting up exactly the kind of emotionally rich dilemma that made Sweethearts a favorite among romance comics readers. With cover art by Pat Masulli and Dick Giordano, this is a quietly tender snapshot of mid-sixties romance comics at their most heartfelt.