The Unwritten #31.5

This special interstitial issue of Vertigo's The Unwritten arrives in 2012 with a hauntingly beautiful cover by Yuko Shimizu — a stern, bearded man with his hair pinned up in a topknot gazes into the distance as flames rise dramatically around him, hinting at a story steeped in history and consequence. The painted, ink-wash aesthetic evokes classical East Asian art, lending the cover an atmosphere that feels both timeless and urgent. With Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Michael Wm. Kaluta among the creative team, "Men of Letters 1: Here Is the Man of Virtuous Words" promises one of The Unwritten's characteristically rich explorations of storytelling and power.