Blade of the Immortal #83

Hiroaki Samura's cover for Blade of the Immortal #83 presents a quietly striking image: a stern, shaven-headed warrior carries a young woman in a kimono on his back, both figures rendered in Samura's signature pencil-and-ink style against a muted green woodland backdrop. The contrast between the man's grim intensity and the young woman's composed, almost distant expression gives the image a real emotional weight. Published by Dark Horse Manga in 2003, this "Path of Shadows" chapter is a fine showcase of the series' blend of feudal atmosphere and deeply human character work.