The Books of Magic #4

Paul Johnson's painted cover for this 1991 DC limited series closer is a genuinely arresting image: a pale, cross-legged figure levitates at center, crackling with magical energy at his fingertips, while an aged wizard to the left and a crowned queen to the right flank him like supernatural sentinels. A small inset panel at the bottom shows two figures walking away into the distance, hinting at a journey's end befitting the story title "Book IV: The Road to Nowhere." Neil Gaiman's concluding chapter of this four-issue series promises the same blend of wonder and unease that has defined the run.