魔法少女サイト [Mahou Shoujo Site] #4

The soft, dreamlike pastel cover of this fourth volume from Akita Shoten's Shonen Champion Comics line sets a quietly unsettling mood — a pale young girl lies curled among pillows and plush toys, clutching what appears to be a small, dark orb, with a striking splash of red hinting at something darker beneath the gentle surface. Creator 佐藤健太郎 (Kentaro Sato) has a gift for wrapping tension in delicate, almost tender imagery, and that contrast is very much on display here. If you've been following Mahou Shoujo Site, volume four promises to continue the series' signature blend of fragile beauty and shadowy unease.