Planetary #12

This striking issue of Planetary features a cover by John Cassaday that is itself a kind of visual thesis: a brooding, close-cropped male face assembled from a mosaic of comic book pages, the whole of comics history seemingly embedded in one man's stare. It's a quietly stunning design that resonates perfectly with the series' love of the medium's past, and it sets an appropriately reflective tone for the story within, titled "Memory Cloud." Warren Ellis and Cassaday, with colors by Laura DePuy, were producing some of 2001's most thoughtful superhero comics, and this WildStorm issue is a fine example of the creative ambition running through every corner of the Planetary run.