Cerebus #98

This May 1987 issue from Aardvark-Vanaheim presents a strikingly intimate cover by Dave Sim and Gerhard — a dramatic close-up of Cerebus rendered in deep detail, his distinctive orange snout and helmet filling the frame, wrapped in dark fabric with gold ornamental details visible at his collar. The composition is brooding and self-assured, the kind of confident visual storytelling that made this long-running independent series a touchstone of the direct market era. With "The Trial" as the story title, the weight of that tightly framed, battle-worn figure feels entirely appropriate.