R. O. D.: Read or Die #1

The opening volume of R.O.D.: Read or Die introduces us to Yomiko Readman — bespectacled, long-haired, and clearly in a hurry — as she clutches a book aloft and dashes through a tangle of bold red "KEEP OUT" tape that crisscrosses the entire cover. A handwritten sign tucked under her arm bears the series' own title, giving the whole scene a cheeky, self-aware energy perfectly suited to a story billing itself as "The Last Literature D-Line of U.K." With story by Hideyuki Kurata and manga by Shutaro Yamada, this first volume from Shueisha sets a lively, book-loving tone right from the start.