The Phantom Stranger #5

Neal Adams's cover for this February 1970 DC issue sets an atmospheric, unsettling scene: the Phantom Stranger — cape billowing, hand raised in warning — faces an enormous, dripping purple-and-white monstrosity rising from crashing ocean waves, while a dark-clad woman hurls a bolt of energy at the creature from the right and a group of frightened bystanders recoils in the background. The tagline "Follow me… for I am… The Phantom Stranger" captures the brooding mystique that made this series such a distinctive corner of DC's early 1970s supernatural line. With Robert Kanigher writing and Mike Sekowsky penciling the interior story "The Devil's Playground!", this issue brings together a genuinely strong creative team for a tale that promises dread and wonder in equal measure.