風光る [Kaze Hikaru] #4

Volume 4 of Watanabe Taeko's Kaze Hikaru presents a quietly compelling cover: a young man rendered in clean, spare linework, dressed in formal dark kimono with a delicate family crest, his expression composed and watchful. The restrained elegance of the design reflects the series' grounding in the world of late-Edo samurai culture, letting character and atmosphere do the heavy lifting. Published by Shogakukan, this volume continues one of manga's more thoughtfully drawn historical series.