Les Mémoires de Vanitas #9

Volume 9 of Jun Mochizuki's Les Mémoires de Vanitas presents a hauntingly beautiful cover: a white-haired, blue-eyed young man grips a golden chain stretched across an ornate gilt frame, beyond which swirl shadowy butterflies and a glowing white bird against a deep blue backdrop, while a skeletal hand reaches toward him from below. The imagery — chains, pinned specimens, clockwork filigree — distills the series' signature blend of gothic atmosphere and baroque elegance into a single striking tableau. If you've been following this French-published shonen from Ki-oon, volume 9 looks like a compelling reason to keep turning pages.