Cerebus #299

This penultimate issue of the long-running Aardvark-Vanaheim series carries a cover by Dave Sim and Gerhard that is all atmosphere and shadow — a dim, cavernous interior where a solitary small figure sits hunched atop a towering stack of books, dwarfed by the darkness and the looming architectural forms around them. The composition, rendered in deep browns and blacks, feels meditative and quietly ominous, perfectly suited to the "Latter Days" chapter of Cerebus's decades-long journey. With only one issue remaining after this, 2004's issue #299 is a sobering, beautifully crafted moment before the end.