Akira #1

Against a vivid crimson backdrop, Katsuhiro Otomo's cover for this 2009 Kodansha USA edition places a young man in a striped shirt at the center, gun raised, amid the wreckage of futuristic motorcycles and debris — a striking first impression of the world of *Akira*. A second crouching figure and what appears to be a small, aged child-like form scattered among the chaos hint at the intense, sprawling narrative within. Otomo's linework is meticulous and cinematic, making this collected volume — subtitled *Tetsuo* — a compelling entry point into one of manga's most ambitious sci-fi sagas.