Swords of the Swashbucklers #6 (1986) pages 18-19: A Top Gun moment

This brief action/comedy sequence pits the space galleon Starshadow against the United States Air Force. The battle ends inconclusively since cannonballs are much too slow to hit an F-14, while missiles can't seem to get a lock on the space frigate. The whimsical scene plays up the contradictions inherent in the whole space pirate genre.

Geof Isherwood had to draw a lot of sailing ships in this series, and especially in the first half of this issue, so he welcomed the opportunity to try his hand at some modern tech too. Captain Raader makes a great rage face on page 19, and the USAF pilot looks suitably shocked in his own close-up.