Cover
art by Masashi Kishimoto
Though Naruto and Sasuke seem to have grown apart over the years, they're actually two sides of the same coin. Both had a hard childhood and didn't make too many friends growing up. Both want to bring about peace to the shinobi world by becoming Hokage. But there's one big difference that distinguishes the two—Naruto wants the world to learn how to live peacefully together, while Sasuke wants to shoulder the burden of hatred and pain in order to bring about peace. With that said, what a fitting and stunning cover Kishimoto Sensei drew for this week!

Naruto
by Masashi Kishimoto
First off, the SJ boss man was spot on when he said this week's chapter of Naruto has both Keith Richards and Billy Idol, a.k.a. Sasuke and Naruto! Kishimoto Sensei's always been great at drawing stylistic color spreads and this one's no different. Now then, it's finally time for the showdown we've all been waiting for—Sasuke versus Naruto! At this point, they know each other inside out, so no amount of talking will sway one or the other. The only way they'll make each other understand is through their fists. Question is, whose fist is stronger now?

Bleach
by Tite Kubo
It appears as if the Stern Ritter have the upper hand against Squad Zero when they make their most unwelcome entrance to the Reiokyu. However, things are never what they appear, and the Stern Ritter should have learned a lesson from the Soul Reapers' previous battle with Aizen, where they created a whole fake Karakura Town. Though it was expected that the elite of the Soul Reaper elite would be no pushovers, probably the same could be said of Yhwach's handpicked warriors...

One Piece
by Eiichiro Oda
We recently had a debate about which One Piece backstory was the most heartbreaking, with most everyone pointing to a different characters' past as being the most tragic. (I'm still steadfast in my vote for Nico Robin.) But there's one thing we can all admit—Law and Doflamingo's past history is rife with tragedy and despair. Oda Sensei's truly a master at tugging on heartstrings (appropriate considering Don Quixote's powers). And now we definitely know one thing that Luffy and Law have in common. But why is Corazon so adament that Law not tell Don Quixote his real name?

Toriko
by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro
There's no time to monkey around for Toriko and gang as they rush Komatsu, whose life hangs in the balance, to the next course on Acacia's full-course menu, Pair! Komatsu's only hope is to reach this legendary soup, but standing in their way are the powerful primates that rule the land...

World Trigger
by Daisuke Ashihara
Osamu's in all kinds of trouble. His friend Chika has been cubified by Neighbors, who want her for her incredible Trion levels. His Neighbor friend Yuma is in the midst of battle with a powerful enemy. And his only companion, Replica, has been cut down by the Neighbors! Time's of the essence as Osamu only has to wait a few more seconds until he can make a mad dash for Border HQ's entrance. But is he fast enough to avoid the humanoid Neighbor Mira, who's capable of teleporting herself?!

Nisekoi
by Naoshi Komi
One of Marika's charming (or irritating, depending on your point of view) qualities is her persistence when it comes to the love of her life, Raku. However, things haven't been going as planned lately. Realizing that she needs to find more common ground with Raku, Marika plans to overcome her fear of animals and help out with the school's menagerie. Can Marika truly "conquer the animals" or will nature rule supreme?!

One-Punch Man
story by ONE, art by Yusuke Murata
King meet Saitama. Saitama meet King. Though both are heroes in the Hero Association, the two of them couldn't be any more different. One's a tough-looking dude that's actually weak and a scaredy-cat. While the other's bald and insanely strong. One gets the credit for defeating monsters he never fought, while the other never gets any recognition. And surprisingly, the two sit down for a jovial afternoon of action video games. That is, of course, until they're interrupted by a monstrous bird...

élDLIVE
by Akira Amano
"Muttering" Chuta's a space cop! And it's all thanks to the alien that's living inside of him, Doru. However, Chuta's still doubtful that he can fight dangerous criminals and outlaws, but with space justice, the ideal candidates for the job aren't exactly what you'd imagine—walking rice balls, a talking moon head, a cat woman, etc. But Chuta has no time for self-doubt as the space bureau is rocked by the escape of a dangerous creature. Chuta and Misuzu are the only space cops on duty, so he'll have to erase all doubts if he's gonna survive this one!

Death Note
story by Tsugumi Ohba, art by Takeshi Obata
Takeshi Obata created quite a stir when he attended this year's New York Comic Con, and for good reason too, considering that he's the artist behind this classic SJ series. And what a great chapter we get in this week's issue, especially since it introduces Light's foil in the ever-enigmatic L. And of course, L doesn't have your standard full-figure manga introduction. Instead we get mind games with a fake L and then an introduction to the real man himself...as a letter on a monitor! Genius!

Extras: Kishimoto-Shimabukuro Interview, Takeshi Obata Sweepstakes, Draw a Naruto Fan Art Cover, Author Comments, Nihongo Lesson. 

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by Sean Baylor