Blade of the Immortal #22

Hiroaki Samura's painted cover for this 2010 Dark Horse volume says everything you need to know: a scarred, red-eyed swordsman looms out of a swirling violet haze, two blades drawn and a third clenched between his teeth, radiating the kind of coiled menace that makes you glad he's facing away from you. The volume's title, Footsteps, hints at a journey unfolding against that brooding, smoky backdrop. Samura's artwork here is as raw and expressive as ever — a compelling reason to pick up this chapter of one of manga's most visceral samurai sagas.