Yes, I do feel nostalgic for the old-style “story” covers. You could remember the story inside just by glancing at them.

But I think the Preacher cover is very striking and interesting, even though it portrays Jesse as far more sinister than he is. It’s a good cover in that it creates a sense of mystery for what happens in the comics, unlike the old covers. It’s not really a “pin-up” cover, it’s more like a symbolic cover. Since, it’s not just Jesse posing around, it actually hints at story elements, like the conflagration at the church.

IMO, The Preacher cover looks really good, but as a cover, it’s definitely weaker in terms of catching attention. The other, older ones, seem so much more puzzling or interesting (though the Batgirl cover may be trying too hard with all the captions, hey, it’s still a new character). I miss that, and hated when almost all covers became pin-ups.

Vertigo first issues were frequently 40 pages around this time. The next issue is back to regular size and $2.50. I think that was $.25 more than the average DC comic then.