The Tree of Death: Yomotsuhegui #1

Masasumi Kakizaki opens this striking 2024 series with a cover that immediately signals its tone: a determined, shaven-headed figure stares out with quiet intensity while a grotesque, tentacled creature looms behind him, its single cyclopean eye watching from the shadows. The contrast between human resolve and monstrous otherness sets an atmospheric stage rooted in Japanese mythology's darkest corners. If you're drawn to dark fantasy manga with a brooding, visceral aesthetic, Yomotsuhegui vol. 1 looks like a compelling place to start.