銃夢火星戦記 [Ganmu Kasei Senki] #4

Two small figures — a dark-haired child in a flowing lavender scarf and a blonde girl in an elaborate black lace dress with a mechanical arm — dash hand-in-hand across a stark white expanse, dwarfed by the looming silhouette of a massive mechanical skull rising behind them. Yukito Kishiro's Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle continues to deliver that distinctive blend of delicate character design and imposing cyberpunk imagery, and volume 4 captures the tension beautifully in a single striking image. If you've been following this series, this cover alone makes a compelling case to keep going.