The Spectacular Spider-Man #182

Part five of six in the gripping "Child Within" arc finds Spider-Man literally caught in the middle — the cover shows him web-swinging in dynamic action between the feral, pale-skinned Vermin and a glowering Green Goblin airborne on his glider, all set against a moonlit suburban backdrop. Sal Buscema's cover linework is confident and kinetic, capturing the three-way tension the cover copy spells out perfectly: "Vermin! The Goblin! Spider in the Middle!" With J. M. DeMatteis writing and Buscema handling both interior art and cover duties, this 1991 installment has all the ingredients of a tightly wound psychological thriller with its superhero action dialed up high.