Untold Tales of Spider-Man #8

At just 99 cents, this 1996 Marvel gem delivers a cover packed with tension — Spider-Man is caught in the middle as a lasso-wielding figure in green and a brawling young man in yellow close in from either side, while a smaller purple-suited accomplice crouches nearby, all three overwhelmed by the looming silhouette of the Headsman casting a dark shadow across the green-tinted background. The bold cover art by Patrick Olliffe and Al Vey frames the threat beautifully, balancing menace and energy in a way that makes it hard not to flip straight to the story. Kurt Busiek's "Harry's Story" promises the kind of character-driven, early-era Spider-Man storytelling that made Untold Tales one of 1996's most satisfying ongoing series.