Cerebus #226

This January 1998 installment of Dave Sim and Gerhard's long-running self-published epic continues the "Rick's Story" arc with a striking cover that frames a bearded, robed figure — labeled "Rick" — rendered in the style of a shattering stained-glass window, one finger raised as shards of colored glass and scattered pages fly outward against a stark black background. A ornate mace or scepter floats above the window frame, adding an air of strange solemnity to the image. Sim and Gerhard's collaborative craftsmanship is on full display here, blending religious iconography with the irreverent energy that has made Cerebus one of the most ambitious long-form comics of its era.