Buddha #3

Osamu Tezuka's sweeping manga epic continues with Buddha Volume Three: Devadatta, and the cover sets a fittingly contemplative tone — a lone figure stands atop a dramatic rocky outcropping, arms outstretched, gazing out over a vast, intricately detailed landscape of mountains and rolling terrain stretching to the horizon. The subtitle points to one of the story's most compelling presences, promising the kind of rich human drama that has made Tezuka's retelling of the Buddha's life so absorbing. Vertical's English edition presents this beautifully spare, largely monochrome image against a bold yellow banner — understated and quietly arresting all at once.