Usagi Yojimbo #24

Stan Sakai's cover for issue #24 sets an irresistible tone: the rabbit ronin Usagi stands in his teal kimono, playing a wooden flute with a sly, almost serene expression — while an enormous, leering oni demon looms out of the mist behind him. The contrast between the small, composed swordsman and the towering supernatural menace hints perfectly at the story's title, "The Demon Flute." It's a beautifully composed image that captures exactly why this long-running series, entirely the work of Sakai as writer, artist, inker, and letterer, remains one of 1998's most consistently rewarding books.