Cerebus #118

Part five of the beloved "Jaka's Story" arc, this 1989 issue from Aardvark-Vanaheim places Jaka — blonde-haired and carrying a small basket — at the center of a striking, melancholy cover: she stands alone before a worn stone archway, while in the foreground lies what appears to be a crumpled, motionless Cerebus. The haunting background of skulls nestled in dark foliage gives the whole scene an ominous, fairy-tale weight that Dave Sim and Gerhard render with quiet, atmospheric precision. It's a beautifully composed image that captures the delicate, bittersweet tone this chapter of Cerebus has become so admired for.