Cerebus #293

Deep into the "Latter Days" arc, this 2003 issue from Aardvark-Vanaheim presents one of the most quietly striking images in the long-running series: Cerebus, the aardvark, hunched small and alone on the floor beside an ornate high-backed chair, leaning against it in a posture that radiates exhaustion or grief. Dave Sim and Gerhard's cover work is meticulous as ever — the richly patterned wallpaper, paneled wainscoting, and parquet floor create a suffocating interior grandeur that dwarfs the tiny figure at its center. It's a single image that says more about solitude and weight than most splash pages manage.