Lucifer #56

This January 2005 Vertigo entry opens the two-part "Crux" arc with a cover by Mike Kaluta that is genuinely hard to look away from — a massive white tiger surges forward through swirling, lily-pad-dotted waters, its jaws open wide, while two figures ride atop its back: a red-haired young woman and a dark-haired companion clinging close behind her. The dreamy, otherworldly palette of blues and greens gives the whole image an almost mythic quality that suits Mike Carey's run on this series perfectly. With Peter Gross and Ryan Kelly handling interior art, this is Vertigo storytelling at its most atmospheric.