The Unwritten #23

From Vertigo's genre-bending series, this May 2011 issue brings the "Leviathan" arc to its fifth chapter, with cover art by Yuko Shimizu that's quietly mesmerizing. A young man rests his chin on his hands atop a red book, his gaze somewhere between wary and world-weary, while a winged tabby cat perches behind him and luminous bubbles drift through the air — within one of those spheres floats a whole miniature seascape complete with a tall ship, a whale, and a distant lighthouse. The imagery beautifully captures The Unwritten's signature blend of literary wonder and unsettling strangeness, with the creative team of Carey, Gross, and Locke delivering a series that continues to reward readers who love stories about the power of stories.