The Books of Magic #19

From DC's Vertigo imprint comes this December 1995 installment of The Books of Magic, subtitled "Playgrounds, Part Five: Really-Pretend," written by John Ney Rieber and illustrated by Peter Gross. August Hall's cover is a richly layered dreamscape, centering on a young bespectacled boy standing small between vast, looming faces — a grinning twig-crowned figure above and a serene, closed-eyed feminine visage beside him — while a ghostly white form and a dove drift through swirling mists below. The surreal composition perfectly captures the series' blend of wonder and unease, making this a compelling chapter in one of Vertigo's most imaginative ongoing titles.