The Spectre #1

DC's 1987 "New Format" launch of The Spectre opens with a cover by Michael Wm. Kaluta that commands immediate attention: the ghostly, green-cloaked Spectre looms over a cosmic backdrop, cradling the entire Earth in one hand while chains of writhing human figures spiral around him, and red beams slash across a starfield behind his masked, pallid face. The tagline says it plainly — "The Ghostly Guardian Returns to Earth for Vengeance!" — and Kaluta's composition makes that threat feel genuinely cosmic in scale. Writer Doug Moench and artist Gene Colan bring the story "Vessels" to life inside, making this a compelling starting point for anyone drawn to DC's darker, more metaphysical corners.