Monstress #21

Sana Takeda's cover for Monstress #21 draws you in with an intimate, tension-filled moment: a dark-haired young woman gently cups the face of a small child, their gazes locked in something between tenderness and urgency, while an enormous, shadowy presence looms behind them amid swirling gears, tentacles, and intricate mechanical and organic detail. The layered imagery — warm flesh tones against ornate gold clockwork and creeping pink tendrils — is a reminder of why this series, written by Marjorie Liu and fully illustrated by Takeda, walked away with five 2018 Eisner Awards. If you've been following this dark fantasy epic, issue #21 promises the same breathtaking fusion of beauty and dread that has made Monstress one of the most visually distinctive books on shelves in 2019.