Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron

Daniel Clowes's singular, surreal graphic novel, published by Fantagraphics in 1993, follows a man's obsessive search for his missing wife through a nightmarish landscape of bizarre characters and unsettling encounters. A landmark work of alt-comics, it showcases Clowes's distinctive, detailed linework and his gift for crafting a deeply strange, Lynchian atmosphere that lingers long after the final page. This single-issue masterpiece remains a touchstone for its unflinching exploration of paranoia and the grotesque.