Blade of the Immortal #7

Part one of the two-part "Fanatic" arc, this 1996 Dark Horse manga release showcases Hiroaki Samura's striking artwork right on the cover — a wounded, dark-haired figure in flowing robes recoils as a blade-wielding attacker bears down from above, blood already tracing a line across the scene. The composition crackles with tension, the loose fabric and desperate posture of the figure below conveying both vulnerability and coiled resolve. Samura's blend of painterly detail and raw kinetic energy makes this an easy issue to pick up and a hard one to put down.