Tsugumi Project #1

The opening volume of Ippatu's Tsugumi Project announces itself with real visual force: a heavily armored man dominates the foreground, his crossed chest-straps and steely glare radiating grim determination, while above him a crimson-clad girl with flowing red hair perches defiantly — and looming behind them both is a massive, snarling beast-like face wreathed in shadow, with the ruins of a shattered cityscape stretching across the background. Ki-oon's seinen imprint sets the tone perfectly here, pairing raw human resolve against something monstrous and far larger than any one person. If you're drawn to dark, high-stakes action manga with a striking visual sensibility, this 2019 first volume is a compelling place to start.