Howard the Duck #8

This 2016 Marvel issue arrives with one of the most quietly beautiful covers in the series, depicting Howard and a hooded figure perched together on a seaside cliff at dusk, gazing out toward a distant lighthouse while a luminous, ghostly feminine form swirls through the rosy sky above them. The tagline "The Return of Bev!" promises something emotionally meaningful is on the horizon, and cover artist Joe Quinones delivers a mood that feels more like a painting than a superhero comic. With Chip Zdarsky writing and Quinones joined by Rivera and Gibson on art duties, this creative team clearly has a genuine fondness for Howard's world — and this issue looks like a tender chapter in that ongoing story.