Cerebus #176

Part of the long-running "Mothers & Daughters" arc, this November 1993 issue from Aardvark-Vanaheim opens the "Po" storyline with a cover that's quietly arresting — a golden-skinned, angular face peers from within a framed inset, set against an elaborate blue acanthus-leaf pattern that fills the entire background. Dave Sim and Gerhard bring their usual craft to both the decorative elegance of that wallpaper-like design and the intense, sidelong expression of the figure at center. It's a striking, restrained composition that makes you want to know exactly who Po is.