Kabuki #3

David Mack's painterly cover for Kabuki #3 draws you in immediately — a young woman with wind-swept dark hair dominates the foreground, her face bearing subtle tattoo-like markings, while behind her a dreamlike circular halo reveals ghostly figures rendered in soft teal and white. The watercolor washes of lavender, peach, and mint give the whole image an almost meditative, interior quality that feels miles away from conventional superhero art. Nominated for both the Kirby and Harvey Awards for Best Issue of the Year, this 1998 Image title — "Retinaescape" — makes a compelling case for comics as fine art.