The Books of Magic #43

From DC's Vertigo imprint in 1997, this issue of The Books of Magic features a cover by Michael Wm. Kaluta that is genuinely arresting: a massive, outstretched crimson hand dominates a candlelit wooden floor, cradling a cluster of figures — including what appears to be a young person and a swirling, spectral creature with wild white hair and reaching tendrils — while a lone boy stands apart, facing them across the flickering ring of candles. The image has a quiet, theatrical menace to it, the candlelight lending an almost ritualistic atmosphere to whatever confrontation "King of This" has in store. John Ney Rieber and Peter Gross continue their collaboration here, promising the blend of dark wonder that defines this Vertigo series at its best.