Cannon God Exaxxion #18

Kenichi Sonoda's mecha manga series continues with this 2003 Dark Horse release, and the cover brings a refreshingly grounded moment to the forefront. Four characters — a dark-haired young man in a jacket, a red-haired girl holding a handheld device, a woman in a green skirt with arms spread wide, and a third woman standing quietly to the side — gather around what appears to be a massive cylindrical object, likely a weapon or machine component. It's a nicely composed scene that balances the human drama at the heart of this action-packed series from the creator of Gunsmith Cats.