Library Wars: Love & War #5

Three characters take center stage on this rich red cover — a bright-eyed blonde woman draped in a teal wrap dominates the foreground, while two young men in blue suits linger behind her, hinting at the romantic tension woven through Kiiro Yumi's series. Library Wars: Love & War Vol. 5 continues Viz Media's Shojo Beat release of this adaptation of Hiro Arikawa's original concept, blending the drama of book-defending soldiers with heartfelt personal stakes. Yumi's clean, expressive linework makes this 2011 volume an appealing entry in one of shojo's more distinctive premises.