My big news for the day is to point you to an early-morning post at About.com, which happens to my my guest review of Jason Yadao’s The Rough Guide to Manga.
This nearly pocket-sized volume claims to be “the ultimate handbook for exploring the world of Japanese comics,” and though it fails to be quite that, it does have some qualities that make it well worth reading, especially for new fans. I especially appreciated seeing some of my favorites (Banana Fish, Maison Ikkoku, even Fullmetal Alchemist!) listed as part of Yadao’s “fifty essential manga.” Though some of Yadao’s chapters work better than others (see particularly my comments on a very awkward discussion of Korean manhwa and Chinese manhua and an attempt to explain anime in a single, short chapter), it’s a solid starting point for anyone interested in the medium.
Check out Deb’s introductory blog post and my review for more!