Usagi Yojimbo #94

Stan Sakai's cover for issue #94 sets an immediately tense scene: a large, imposing white-furred samurai in a blue kimono looms over two smaller animal characters — a wide-eyed, frightened young figure in a green floral robe and a scowling dark-furred figure behind them — all against a backdrop of traditional shoji screens. The drawn blade between them crackles with quiet menace, perfectly suited to a story titled "Remnants of the Dead." For fans of this long-running Dark Horse series, this 2006 installment is a fine showcase of Sakai's ability to pack genuine drama and atmosphere into a single striking image.