The Spectacular Spider-Man #-1

Part of Marvel's 1997 "Flashback" event, this special issue #-1 dials the clock back to tell a story centered on a young Flash Thompson, as teased by the cover's vintage-styled teaser copy asking who, why, when, and what about the nightmare haunting him. Luke Ross's cover delivers a striking three-way composition — Spider-Man looming large above a frightened teenage Flash, with a shadowy, clawed figure menacing from the right — setting a tone that's equal parts mystery and dread. J. M. DeMatteis and Ross make this a compelling early chapter in the lives of characters fans know well, rendered here in their younger, more vulnerable years.