The Flash #339

This November 1984 issue puts the Scarlet Speedster in a genuinely precarious spot — the cover by Carmine Infantino and Klaus Janson shows a massive armored villain known as Big Sir lunging furiously at a kneeling Flash, who holds what appears to be a small mouse, with the cover copy making clear Big Sir believes Flash harmed his little companion. The contrast between the towering, enraged Big Sir and the seemingly vulnerable Flash crouching in the grass gives the scene an unexpectedly emotional tension that goes well beyond a typical slugfest. With Cary Bates scripting and Infantino's kinetic linework driving the story under the title "Warday!," issue #339 is a fine example of mid-'80s DC storytelling that isn't afraid to get a little unconventional with its stakes.