The Shadow Strikes #16

Four identical masked women in sleek black-and-white swimsuits wield batons around a mysterious helmeted figure rising from the water — Eduardo Barreto's striking cover for this 1991 DC issue practically dares you to pick it up. The cover's tagline, "So Beautiful… So Deadly!," perfectly captures the menacing elegance on display, with the quartet of adversaries framing what appears to be the Shadow's masked visage emerging from below. Gerard Jones, Rod Whigham, and Gerry Fernandez bring the interior story "Who Is Number One?" to life, promising the pulpy intrigue that makes The Shadow Strikes such a satisfying read.