The Books of Magic #12

Part one of "Small Glass Worlds" arrives in this 1995 installment of DC/Vertigo's ongoing series, written by John Ney Rieber with interior art by Peter Snejbjerg. Charles Vess's cover painting draws the eye immediately to a winged, wild-haired figure swooping low over a moonlit waterway, luminous amber orbs floating on the surface around them, while a brick bridge looms in the background and a young bespectacled boy and a top-hatted figure observe from the shadowy edges. It's an image that perfectly captures the series' blend of wonder and unease — strange, beautiful, and just a little unsettling.