Route End #5

Volume 5 of Kaiji Nakagawa's Route End puts a solitary, sharp-eyed blond man front and center — turtleneck, cigarette trailing smoke, one hand tucked in his pocket — radiating the kind of quiet, coiled tension this seinen series does so well. The muted grey background keeps all focus on his guarded expression, which manages to feel both weary and watchful at once. If you've been following this Ki-oon release, this 2019 volume's cover alone makes a strong case for staying with it.