アイシールド21 [Eyeshield 21] #23

Two teams of American football players face each other across the cover of this 2007 Jump Comics volume, the tension of a pre-game handshake crackling between a tall, imposing figure in a black-and-yellow tiger-striped uniform and a smaller player in pink — number 21 — surrounded by their respective squads. The lineup of determined faces on both sides makes the rivalry feel immediate and personal, the kind of standoff that defines a series at its best. 村田雄介's detailed linework brings every character's intensity to life, from clenched jaws to wide, competitive eyes, promising that whatever clash follows will be hard-fought.