A Certain Magical Index #26

Volume 26 of Chuya Kogino's manga adaptation — from Kazuma Kamachi's original story with character designs by Kiyotaka Haimura — puts a striking dark-haired, red-eyed young woman front and center, sword raised overhead against a swirling yellow-and-black backdrop as feathers scatter around her gold-trimmed blue uniform. The tension radiating off that single dynamic pose makes it easy to see why this long-running series keeps readers coming back volume after volume. A fine addition to any A Certain Magical Index collection in 2022.