The Books of Magic #8

Part three of "Sacrifices" arrives in this 1994 Vertigo title, with a cover by Charles Vess that draws you in with quiet, unsettling atmosphere. Young Tim Hunter stands at the center, his glasses catching the light as stars shimmer around him and magical energy glows at his outstretched hands, a small cat perched on his shoulder — while a pale blonde figure looms behind him and ghostly, half-formed faces emerge from the misty background. Written by John Ney Rieber with interior art by Peter Gross, this is the kind of issue where the mood on the cover alone promises that whatever "altars" are being invoked, the cost won't be small.