Berserk, Vol. 2(1991)

Kentaro Miura

The evil Count uses his dark powers to transform a defeated guard captain into an inhuman horror to combat Guts, the Black Swordsman. Meanwhile, Guts' pint-sized elf sidekick, Puck, is captured and given as a gift to the Count's daughter, a sweet girl in a gilded cage, imprisoned by her father in her own room. Guts, determined to make mincemeat of the Count—and maybe bail out his companion, if he gets around to it—assaults the castle and takes on the nearly indestructible demon/guard in a blood-soaked battle royal! But then, face-to-face with the Black Swordsman at last, the unholy Count reveals his own true form, and even Guts' super-sized sword may not be big enough to contend with this demonic monstrosity!

Created by Kentaro Miura, Berserk is meat-grinder manga at its most extreme—gruesome, violent, and darkly funny—and the inspiration for the wildly popular anime series. Look elsewhere if you're craving sweetness, subtlety, and good manners. Berserk is the bull in the graphic novel china shop—and who wouldn't watch a bull getting medieval on the dishes!