Stanley and His Monster #1

Phil Foglio and Chuck Fiala kick off this four-issue DC miniseries with a cover that brilliantly plays two tones against each other: in the foreground, an anxious editor sits at his desk while an enthusiastic young blond kid excitedly shows off a cheerful, childlike drawing of a boy and his fuzzy purple monster — but looming above in a fiery thought bubble is that same monster rendered as a terrifying, skull-surrounded, fang-filled beast grappling with a muscular demon amid burning buildings. The contrast between the innocent crayon art and the apocalyptic imagination behind it sets the series' humor up perfectly. Cover art is by Foglio with inks by Michael Golden, and the story inside is titled "How to Build a Tree Fort.