The Maxx #28

A grinning, wide-eyed cartoon creature — all orange fur and manic energy — bursts from a tangle of roots and dried grass on this striking 1997 cover, clutching what appears to be a small checkered lantern while a shadowy, recumbent figure rests at its feet. Sam Kieth's self-inked artwork blends the surreal and the earthy in that signature Maxx style, layering whimsy over something unmistakably unsettling. With the story titled "Pool of Tears," issue #28 promises the kind of dreamlike emotional depth that has made this Image series so distinctive.