The Flash #184

Few covers from 1968 announce themselves with such raw emotional weight — the Flash stands alone against a stark dark background, head bowed and hand pressed to his temple in what reads unmistakably as anguish or despair. Ross Andru and Mike Esposito let the bold, hand-lettered declaration do the heavy lifting alongside their stricken Scarlet Speedster: "You are about to read of the most tragic day in the life of the Flash!" It's a genuinely arresting design choice that promises something far heavier than a typical super-speed adventure in "Executioner of Central City!