The Joker #2

DC's solo Joker series hits its second issue with a cover that captures the Clown Prince of Crime at his most theatrically menacing — a wild-eyed, purple-suited Joker looms large, fan of playing cards in hand, as a panicked, orange-suited man clutches cash and scrambles away below, with police officers closing in through a cityscape backdrop. The cover's speech bubbles cheekily declare that only the Joker stands between you and the law, perfectly setting the tone for the issue's story, "The Sad Saga of Willy the Weeper!" This 1975 gem features a script by Denny O'Neil brought to life by artist Irv Novick and inker José Luis García-López, with the striking cover rendered by penciler Ernie Chan and inker García-López.