Usagi Yojimbo #22

Part of the beloved "Grasscutter" arc, this eighth chapter finds Stan Sakai's anthropomorphic feudal Japan at a fever pitch. The cover, rendered by Sakai himself, sets a dramatic tone: a menacing wolf samurai strides forward through roaring flames, katana in hand, while looming behind him are three figures — a stern rhinoceros warrior, a determined cat samurai, and a white-furred feline opponent — suggesting a collision of powerful forces. It's a striking 1998 Dark Horse entry in one of comics' most consistently rewarding long-form samurai adventures.