Cerebus #223

This fourth installment of "Rick's Story" arrives in October 1997 with a hauntingly elegant cover by Dave Sim and Gerhard — a large, ethereal winged figure rendered in warm amber tones frames an inn-style hanging sign bearing the chapter title, within which a red-haired woman in a black corseted dress gazes quietly out a window, a glass of wine at her side and open countryside visible beyond. The painterly contrast between the soft, luminous background figure and the crisp detail of the framed vignette is a lovely showcase of Sim and Gerhard's collaborative artistry. Fans following this long-running Aardvark-Vanaheim series will find this installment's cover alone makes a compelling case for seeking it out.