Ares - The Vagrant Soldier #6

Volume 6 of Ryu Geum-Chul's *Ares: The Vagrant Soldier* puts the red-haired warrior front and center, sword raised mid-swing against a fiery orange backdrop as two menacing masked figures — one looming from above, another crouching in the shadows — close in around him. The tension radiating from that cover composition captures exactly what this manhwa does so well: intimate, kinetic combat with a wonderfully gritty edge. If you've been following this series, 2013's sixth installment looks like a very good reason to keep going.