Momotaro #[nn]

Sergio Toppi's art is on full display in this striking 2017 volume from Mosquito, where a towering armored samurai dominates the cover — its ornate horned helmet and layered armor rendered in Toppi's characteristically rich, earthy tones — while a small, purposeful figure in purple robes stands their ground nearby, staff in hand, beneath a lone floating sphere. The contrast between the massive warrior and the composed smaller figure immediately evokes the spirit of the Japanese folk tale at the heart of this work. Toppi's mastery of texture and composition makes even the cover alone a compelling reason to open this book.