Bloody Monday #1

The opening volume of Bloody Monday sets its tone immediately: a sharp-eyed teenage boy in a white jacket carries a laptop with quiet confidence at center stage, while looming behind him in fiery reds and crimson splatter are a menacing older figure and a young woman caught in the chaos. It's a cover that balances youthful cool against genuine danger, and Kouji Megumi's linework — both pencils and inks — gives every element a crisp, kinetic energy. Story by Ryou Ryumon and art by Kouji Megumi, this 2011 Kodansha USA release kicks off "File 1 Falcon" with all the promise of a thriller that knows exactly how to hook you from page one.