Blade of the Immortal #121

Hiroaki Samura's long-running samurai epic reaches issue #121 with a cover that is quietly devastating — a lone figure in a fur-trimmed coat lies face-down in a snow-covered landscape, dark hair splayed out, a small blade visible at their side as snowflakes drift around them. The stillness of the image carries enormous weight, Samura's subdued palette of grey, white, and warm earth tones doing more with restraint than most action covers manage with spectacle. Part four of "The Sparrow Net" arc, this 2007 Dark Horse release is a testament to why this series has endured through 121 issues and counting.