The Books of Magic #48

Part four of the "Slave of Heavens" arc finds The Books of Magic in quietly breathtaking territory, with Michael Wm. Kaluta's cover painting a striking scene of a winged, dark-haired figure scaling what appears to be an immense luminous surface, accompanied by small, imp-like creatures clinging to the same vertical expanse. Kaluta's delicate linework and warm, ethereal palette give the image a sense of mythic ascent — striving upward toward something vast and uncertain. John Ney Rieber, Peter Gross, Richard Case, and Jason Temujin bring their considerable talents to this 1998 Vertigo chapter, making it a compelling installment in one of DC's most imaginative ongoing series.