Cerebus #210

The cover of this September 1996 installment lays out its message in strip-panel style: a sequence of close-ups on Cerebus's gruff aardvark face set against a snowy winter backdrop, followed by a larger panel where a heavyset, bearded man muses — in speech bubbles — about taking to a "graphic read" like a "duck to water." Dave Sim and Gerhard's crisp black-and-white artwork gives the whole cover the feel of a self-aware wink at the reader, right down to the bold title declaration "THE REASON." Part ten of the "Guys" arc, this issue showcases the team's confident command of sequential storytelling even on the cover itself.