A Certain Magical Index #18

Volume 18 of A Certain Magical Index delivers a cover that crackles with tension — a white-haired, red-eyed young man grips a heavy ornate weapon while a looming blue figure snarls ominously behind him, as a brown-haired girl in a school uniform looks on with wide, startled eyes. Chuya Kogino's linework does a fine job of layering urgency and dread across a stark white-and-shadow composition that draws the eye straight to the central confrontation. Fans of Kazuma Kamachi's original story and Kiyotaka Haimura's character designs will find this 2019 Yen Press edition a satisfying continuation of the series.