Cerebus #224

The fifth chapter of "Rick's Story" arrives with a cover that pulls no punches — a battered, blood-streaked man stares upward in anguish, chained and visibly suffering, while a inset image shows a clawed hand clutching an ankh symbol, all framed against a deep crimson background haunted by a looming demonic figure. Dave Sim and Gerhard bring their characteristic intensity to every inch of this image, blending raw human vulnerability with dark spiritual imagery in a way that feels both unsettling and deeply considered. Aardvark-Vanaheim's long-running series continues to push into genuinely uncomfortable emotional territory, and this November 1997 installment looks like no exception.