Vol.1 – Panini variant

Volume 1 variant to celebrate the debut of the series in Italy.

The cover art depicts the protagonist intent on hitting the ball with an overhead kick.  It’s an illustration from Yusuke Nomura made exclusively for the Italian market to tribute the iconic “Rovesciata Panini”, present in all Panini sticker albums from 1965 onwards.

Seeing an original illustration made specifically for a foreign market is a one-of-a-kind event that elevates this variant in a class of its own.

It was available only on pre-order but fortunately, they printed so many copies that even your grandchildren will be able to find it in comic-book stores.

The same cover art was also used for the Brazilian vol.15 – Panini variant (not a surprise since it’s the same publisher) and the French vol.1 – anniversary edition