Cerebus #61

The moody, atmospheric cover of Cerebus #61 sets an unmistakably noir-tinged tone — a darkened rooftop silhouette looms against a deep, star-flecked night sky, all rendered in a restrained palette of black, grey, and deep teal by cover artist Dave Sim. The listing of chapter titles — "Stormy Weather," "Cerebus Was," "Something Cerebus Was," "Mrs. Tynsdale-Clyde's Tea," "Powers," and "Boom" — hints at an episodic, character-driven issue with more than a few surprises in store. Published in April 1984 by Aardvark-Vanaheim, this is the kind of quietly confident issue that shows just how far the series had grown as a vehicle for ambitious, literary storytelling.