Apple Strength #2

The ornate oval mirror at the heart of this cover says everything about the tension Bloody A.K.I. is building in Apple Strength #2 — "Surface Trouble." Reflected within its silver frame is a fierce blue-haired young man, fist raised and expression set with grim determination, while in the foreground a young woman in flowing orange commands crackling flames in both hands, her long brown hair swept by the same fierce energy. A second fighter flanks her on the left, conjuring his own fiery orbs, as swirling golden light envelops the whole composition in a warm, urgent glow. Published by Casteleven in 2021, this second volume promises that the world on both sides of the mirror is very much alive — and very much at odds.