Beastars #9

Paru Itagaki's Beastars continues to impress with this ninth volume, whose cover spotlights an elegant ram-like anthropomorphic figure — curling amber horns, cool blue-grey fur, and piercing green eyes — posed with quiet authority while holding what appears to be a wooden staff or rod. The loose, expressive linework and watercolor-wash palette give the portrait a refined, almost theatrical quality that suits Ki-oon's seinen line beautifully. If you've been following this series through its 2020 French releases, this volume's cover alone signals that the storytelling is moving into compelling new territory.