Bakuman. #2

The cover of this French-language edition (published by Kana) perfectly captures the manga-obsessed world of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata's series: two teenage boys browse the packed shelves of a manga shop, one in the foreground wearing headphones and a red track jacket, clutching volumes including a copy of Bleach, while his dark-haired companion flips through something in the background. It's a wonderfully grounded image — two kids surrounded floor-to-ceiling by the medium they love — that sets the tone for a story about the passion and hard work behind making manga. Volume 2 of this 2010 édition française is a great entry point into one of the most self-aware and heartfelt series in the medium.