Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess' Stardust #2

Stardust #2, published in 1997 by DC Comics under the Vertigo imprint, represents the second installment of a four-part prestige format miniseries. Conceived by author Neil Gaiman as a fairy tale for adults, the story was inspired by the narrative tradition of 19th-century fantasy literature. The project was designed to be visually distinct, with Gaiman explicitly collaborating with Charles Vess to ensure the prose and painted illustrations functioned as a cohesive, artisanal unit.

Charles Vess illustrated the series with his signature ornate, classical style, drawing heavily from the aesthetics of Art Nouveau and the Golden Age of illustration. By creating fully painted interior pages rather than relying on traditional ink-and-color processes, Vess aimed to evoke a sense of timelessness that mirrored the story's folkloric structure. The series was met with significant critical acclaim, earning the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Limited Series and solidifying its place as a cornerstone of modern literary fantasy comics.