The Invisibles #4

As the "Countdown to the Millennium" arc draws to a close with issue #4 (March 2000), Brian Bolland's cover delivers a striking portrait of a weathered, long-haired elder seated cross-legged, one hand raised in a gesture that feels equal parts warning and benediction, a shamrock pinned to his yellow scarf. The crumpled, paper-like background and the hypnotic optical-illusion shadow beneath him give the image an eerie, meditative quality perfectly suited to Grant Morrison's reality-bending series. With a roster including Yeowell, Thompson, Parkhouse, Ridgway, Wood, and Bond, this anthology-style finale to the volume is a remarkable gathering of Vertigo talent.