The Walking Dead Deluxe #71

Carl Grimes stands front and center on this cover, tear-streaked and solemn beneath his signature cowboy hat, while a crowd of seemingly carefree children swirls in the warm background behind him — a haunting contrast that says everything about the weight this kid carries. David Finch's linework renders Carl with a quiet, aching gravity, and Dave McCaig's cool blue palette isolating him from the golden tones of the crowd makes the emotional divide feel almost physical. Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and the rest of the creative team deliver another visually striking chapter of this ongoing Image series in 2023.