はだしのゲン [Hadashi no Gen] #1

Volume one of Keiji Nakazawa's Barefoot Gen announces itself with striking immediacy — a close-up of the grinning young Gen dominates the warm, fiery orange background, holding up a single green stalk of wheat as a symbol of stubborn life and resilience. Two smaller figures, a stocky boy and a uniformed companion, appear cheerfully in the lower corner, rounding out the human warmth of the composition. Nakazawa's linework is confident and expressive throughout, making this opening volume feel both personal and deeply grounded in the world it's about to explore.