Blade of the Immortal #26

This 2013 Dark Horse volume of Blade of the Immortal takes an unexpectedly spare, almost meditative approach with its cover — a single gaunt dog, rendered in delicate ink wash against a pale floral-patterned background, commands the entire composition with quiet intensity. Subtitled "Blizzard," the volume's title and that lone, weary animal together hint at something stripped down and elemental within Hiroaki Samura's long-running samurai saga. It's a restrained, beautifully understated package that stands apart from more action-driven entries in the series.