Angel: Smile Time #1

IDW's 2008 adaptation of the beloved "Smile Time" story gets off to a striking start with this cover by David Messina, which captures the unsettling heart of the premise perfectly. The image shows a very human-looking Angel looming large in his dark coat — and a startled, rubbery puppet version of the same vampire hero in the foreground, both figures wearing matching expressions of wide-eyed alarm. It's a genuinely clever visual gag that sets an irresistible tone, balancing the supernatural unease of the Angel universe with something wonderfully absurd.